title: Effect of a yearlong, moderate-intensity exercise intervention on the occurrence and severity of menopause symptoms in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of moderate-intensity exercise on the occurrence and severity of menopause symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A yearlong, randomized, clinical trial, conducted in Seattle, WA, with 173 overweight, postmenopausal women not taking hormone therapy in the previous 6 months. The intervention was a moderate-intensity exercise intervention (n = 87) versus stretching control group (n = 86). Using logistic regression, odds ratios comparing exercise with controls were calculated at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months for menopause symptoms and their severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in hot flash severity and decreased risk of memory problems in exercisers versus controls over 12 months, although the numbers affected were small. No other significant changes in symptoms were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exercise does not seem to decrease the risk of having menopause symptoms in overweight, postmenopausal women not taking hormone therapy and may increase the severity of some symptoms in a small number of women.
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Public Health Sciences, Cancer Prevention Research Program, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
authors.forename: Erin J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Aiello
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Shelley S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tworoger
authors.forename: Cornelia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: Melinda L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kumai
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McTiernan
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*