title: Effect of aerobic training on hot flushes and quality of life--a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate whether aerobic training has an effect on frequency of hot flushes or quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Symptomatic, sedentary women (n = 176), 43-63 years, no current use of hormone therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unsupervised aerobic training for 50 minutes four times per week during 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hot flushes as measured with Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL, SF-36), daily reported hot flushes on phone-based diary, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and body composition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention group had larger decrease in the frequency of night-time hot flushes based on phone diary (P for month × group = 0.012), but not on WHQ scale. Intervention group had less depressed mood (P = 0.01) than control women according to change in WHQ score. Changes in WHQ score in depressed mood (P = 0.03) and menstrual symptoms (P = 0.01) in the intervention group were significantly dependent on frequency of training sessions. HRQoL was improved among the intervention group women in physical functioning (P = 0.049) and physical role limitation (P = 0.017). CRF improved (P = 0.008), and lean muscle mass increased (P = 0.046) significantly in the intervention group as compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aerobic training may decrease the frequency of hot flushes and improve quality of life among slightly overweight women.
authors.affiliation: UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland. riitta.luoto@uta.fi
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luoto
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moilanen
authors.forename: Reetta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikkola
authors.forename: Jani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raitanen
authors.forename: Eija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tomas
authors.forename: Katriina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ojala
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mansikkamäki
authors.forename: Clas-Håkan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Nygård
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012720:Severity of Illness Index