| 摘要: | Objective To perform a meta-analysis examining the effi cacy of phytoestrogens for the relief of menopausal symptoms. Methods Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until September 30, 2013 using the following key words: vasomotor symptoms, menopausal symptoms, phytoestrogens, isofl avones, coumestrol, soy, red clover. Inclusion criteria were (1) randomized controlled trial (RCT), (2) perimenopausal or postmenopausal women experiencing menopausal symptoms, (3) intervention with an oral phytoestrogen. Outcome measures included Kupperman index (KI) changes, daily hot fl ush frequency, and the likelihood of side-effects. Results Of 543 potentially relevant studies identifi ed, 15 RCTs meeting the inclusion criteria were included. The mean age of the subjects ranged from 49 to 58.3 and 48 to 60.1 years, respectively, in the placebo and phytoestrogen groups. The number of participants ranged from 30 to 252, and the intervention periods ranged from 3 to 12 months. Meta-analysis of the seven studies that reported KI data indicated no signifi cant treatment effect of phytoestrogen as compared to placebo (pooled mean difference 6.44, p 0.110). Metaanalysis of the ten studies that reported hot fl ush data indicated that phytoestrogens result in a signifi cantly greater reduction in hot fl ush frequency compared to placebo (pooled mean difference 0.89, p 0.005). Meta-analysis of the fi ve studies that reported side-effect data showed no signifi cant difference between the two groups ( p 0.175). Conclusion Phytoestrogens appear to reduce the frequency of hot fl ushes in menopausal women, without serious side-effects. |
