Divine Aleru, Microbiome Signatures Research Coordinator

Self-care interventions like exercise, heat, and acupressure significantly reduce menstrual pain in primary dysmenorrhea, with exercise showing the largest effect. These methods may be effective alternatives to medication.

Lactobacillus gasseri LL2809 significantly reduced menstrual pain and dysmenorrhea in endometriosis patients, offering a potential non-hormonal alternative to traditional treatments. No adverse effects were reported.

Bovine lactoferrin shows promise as an adjunct for pain relief, enhancing opioid efficacy while reducing side effects. Its anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions warrant further research in clinical settings.

Lf improved psychological symptoms related to menstrual distress, particularly autonomic balance, in healthy women. However, no significant effects on menstrual pain or quality of life were observed.

Nifedipine may provide significant pain relief for women with primary dysmenorrhoea, but evidence quality is low. Larger studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety.

IIT significantly improved pain and physical fitness in women with primary dysmenorrhea, while probiotics showed some benefits in alleviating premenstrual symptoms. However, probiotics alone did not impact hormone levels or inflammation.

Three-month probiotic supplementation improved mental health and reduced SAID reliance in women with primary dysmenorrhea, though it did not alter inflammatory cytokines or directly measure microbiome changes.

This study links a snack‐heavy dietary pattern to a significantly higher risk of moderate to severe dysmenorrhea among young women, highlighting the importance of dietary counseling in menstrual pain management.

This study links specific elements of the Mediterranean diet, particularly fruit and olive oil intake, to menstrual pain and characteristics, highlighting potential roles for anti-inflammatory foods in menstrual health among Spanish university women.

Zinc supplementation significantly reduces pain severity in women with primary dysmenorrhea, especially with longer durations of use, offering a safe and effective treatment option.

This meta-analysis demonstrates that cigarette smoking increases the risk of dysmenorrhea, with both current and former smokers showing a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing menstrual pain. Smoking cessation could be an effective intervention to alleviate symptoms.

This study identifies a strong association between concurrent tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking and increased dysmenorrhea risk. It emphasizes the need for lifestyle modifications, such as smoking cessation and exercise, to reduce menstrual pain.

This study demonstrates that zinc supplementation, when combined with mefenamic acid, significantly reduces primary dysmenorrhea pain and incidence, offering a more effective treatment strategy than mefenamic acid alone.

This systematic review highlights elevated oxidative stress and potential antioxidant deficiencies in women with primary dysmenorrhea. While oxidative markers such as DA and O were significantly higher, the evidence on antioxidant status remains inconclusive, suggesting a need for further research into therapeutic interventions.

This review discusses inflammatory markers and therapeutic options in primary dysmenorrhea, focusing on prostaglandins, cytokines, and vasopressin, and evaluates treatments like SAIDs, acupuncture, and physiotherapy.

This metabolomics study identifies ten urinary biomarkers linked to primary dysmenorrhea, providing insights into the metabolic disruptions that contribute to D and suggesting potential new therapeutic targets.

This study links dysmenorrhea symptom phenotypes with distinct vaginal microbiome compositions, suggesting that microbiome imbalances contribute to more severe menstrual pain, which could be targeted in new treatments.

This study explores how graphene-based warm uterus acupoint paste (WUAP) treats primary dysmenorrhea by regulating intestinal microbiota and metabolites, highlighting its potential as a non-drug alternative therapy.

This systematic review highlights the significant association between primary dysmenorrhea and depression, emphasizing the need for integrated care that addresses both physical and mental health in affected women.

This systematic review will investigate the relationship between dysmenorrhea and psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and stress, aiming to provide insights into their bidirectional effects and improve clinical management strategies.

This study links dysmenorrhea to an increased risk of postpartum depression in Chinese women. It highlights the need for early PD screening in women with a history of dysmenorrhea.

The study links adolescent dysmenorrhea patterns with adult endometriosis development. It suggests that early intervention, guided by dysmenorrhea frequency and onset, can reduce the risk of Ms and its associated complications, including infertility.

A WAS study identifies a significant genetic association at the GF gene locus on chromosome 1p13.2, which may explain variations in dysmenorrhea pain severity, suggesting potential new therapeutic targets for pain management.

Primary dysmenorrhea is a prevalent condition that affects many women, particularly in their younger years. This review discusses its pathophysiology, impact on quality of life, and treatment options, including pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and alternative therapies.

A bibliometric analysis of dysmenorrhea research from 1992 to 2022 reveals increasing global interest in its pathogenesis, treatment, and functional connectivity. It emphasizes the role of prostaglandins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and traditional Chinese medicine in managing the condition.

Primary dysmenorrhea is a common and impactful condition affecting young women. This review explores its pathophysiology, symptoms, and treatment options to improve diagnosis and management in clinical practice.

Primary dysmenorrhea is a common, underdiagnosed condition that causes significant pain and affects women’s daily lives. The study highlights its pathophysiology, diagnostic approach, treatment options, and the need for greater awareness and research into its management.

Primary dysmenorrhea (D) is painful menstrual cramps without underlying pelvic pathology, predominantly caused by elevated prostaglandins inducing uterine contractions and ischemia. Managing primary dysmenorrhea (D) requires understanding its complex mechanisms involving prostaglandins, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Treatments include SAIDs, hormonal therapies, and promising complementary options like probiotics, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, exercise, yoga, acupuncture, and massage, significantly improving women’s quality of life.

What was studied?This study examined the interaction between the vaginal microbiota and mycobiota in patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VC). The research focused on understanding the role of different Candida species, specifically Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, in the pathology of VC, and how they influence the vaginal bacteriome. The study aimed to identify the microbial […]

This study investigates the link between gut microbiota and postpartum depressive disorder (PD), identifying specific microbiota changes that correlate with depressive symptoms and hormonal levels. These findings could provide biomarkers for diagnosing and treating PD.

This study explores the differences in microbiomes across breast tissue, oral, and urinary sites in women with and without breast cancer. Key findings suggest distinct microbiomic patterns in cancerous tissue and the urinary microbiome, providing new insights into the role of microbiota in cancer development.

This study examined the impact of estrogen on oral health and microbiome composition in OVID-19 patients, showing that postmenopausal women and men experience poorer oral health, which correlates with elevated proinflammatory cytokines and lower CE2 expression, potentially influencing OVID-19 outcomes.

This study explores the impact of vaginal microbiota on VF outcomes in women with infertility. It highlights how specific bacteria like Lactobacillus iners and Pseudomonas spp. can predict VF success or failure, offering potential insights for personalized RT treatments.

This pilot study links gut microbiome diversity with breast cancer risk factors and tumor characteristics, particularly in ER2+ tumors and those with early menarche. It suggests microbial alterations in these groups that may influence cancer development and risk.

This study explores the vaginal microbiome and metabolome in women with common genital infections, revealing key microbial shifts and metabolic markers associated with infections like VC, T, and V, highlighting potential diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets.

This study suggests that birth mode may influence the vaginal microbiota, with C-section delivery potentially linked to a less protective microbiome and higher odds of V in adulthood.

This study examined how bacterial vaginosis and R-PV infection influence vaginal microbiota diversity and cervical dysplasia in Chinese women, identifying Lactobacillus iners as a key microbial player in PV-related IN progression.

This study characterized the fungal communities in the female genital tract of young South African women and identified how fungal composition relates to bacterial vaginosis and other clinical factors.

A longitudinal study in predominantly Black and Hispanic young women found that a molecular V subtype (ST-V-A) and a network of specific bacteria increase risk for Chlamydia trachomatis infection and reinfection, underscoring the clinical importance of cervicovaginal microbiome signatures.

This systematic review and meta-analysis found that Salvia officinalis significantly reduces the frequency of hot flashes in postmenopausal women, making it a promising non-hormonal alternative.

This meta-analysis reveals that SRIs are effective in reducing hot flashes in menopausal women, with escitalopram showing the highest efficacy. These results support SRIs as a non-hormonal alternative to hormone therapy.

This study demonstrates that LE4901, an K3R antagonist, significantly reduces hot flash frequency, severity, and interference in menopausal women, offering a non-hormonal treatment alternative.

The study assessed the effectiveness of the Evia app, a smartphone-based hypnotherapy intervention, in reducing hot flash frequency and severity in menopausal women.

This study suggests that a low-fat vegan diet, particularly one supplemented with soybeans, significantly reduces hot flashes in postmenopausal women, with improvements linked to higher plant-based diet scores.

This study shows that reducing dietary advanced glycation end-products (GEs) through a plant-based diet significantly reduces hot flashes in postmenopausal women, offering a non-hormonal alternative for managing menopausal symptoms.

This review discusses how food-derived nutrients modulate molecular mechanisms related to hot flashes in menopause, identifying dietary compounds that may offer effective, natural alternatives to hormonal treatments.

This study demonstrates that herbal tea capsules significantly reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of hot flashes in postmenopausal women, offering a promising natural alternative to hormone therapy for managing menopausal symptoms.

This study examines how dietary intake affects hot flash frequency in postmenopausal women. It finds that stable blood glucose levels, achieved through regular meals, reduce hot flash occurrences, suggesting dietary modifications as a potential treatment for menopausal symptoms.

This study explores how exposure to environmental contaminants like FAS, PA, and phthalates accelerates reproductive aging and leads to early menopause, with significant health risks.

The study links urinary phthalate metabolite levels with increased risk and frequency of hot flashes in midlife women, suggesting environmental exposure as a contributing factor. Associations varied by menopause status, MI, race/ethnicity, and depressive symptoms.

This study links higher levels of phthalate metabolites, particularly from personal care products, to an increased risk and severity of hot flashes in midlife women, suggesting that phthalate exposure could influence menopausal symptoms.

This study links severe hot flashes to chronic insomnia in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, suggesting that managing hot flashes could improve sleep quality and reduce the health risks associated with insomnia.

This study shows that the severity of hot flashes in postmenopausal women correlates with increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly L-8 and NF-α. These findings suggest a connection between hot flashes and systemic inflammation, which may contribute to chronic diseases in this population.

This systematic review explores the global prevalence of hot flashes and night sweats, revealing significant cultural and regional variations. It emphasizes the need for personalized, region-specific healthcare strategies to address these common menopausal symptoms.

The article redefines menopausal hot flashes as signs of underlying neurovascular dysregulation, linking them to chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. It advocates for more targeted, personalized treatments and further research into the physiological mechanisms behind these symptoms.

The review explores the physiological mechanisms behind menopausal hot flashes, including thermoregulatory changes, sympathetic nervous activation, and estrogen depletion. It also examines treatments such as clonidine and behavioral therapies.

What was reviewed?The article presents a detailed review of menopausal hot flashes, examining both the physiological and biosociocultural factors that contribute to this common menopausal symptom. It highlights the lack of clarity regarding the exact causes and mechanisms of hot flashes, despite decades of research. The paper discusses how the understanding of hot flashes has […]

This review synthesizes current evidence on menopausal hot flashes, focusing on neuroendocrine mechanisms, genetic factors, and a stepwise, personalized treatment approach, emphasizing new targets such as the NDy neuronal system and GRP for future therapies.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis shows potent antifertility effects through antiovulatory, antiimplantation, and antispermatogenic mechanisms in animal studies, supporting its development as a safe, natural contraceptive pending further research.

This review highlights Hibiscus rosa-sinensis as a potent medicinal plant with diverse pharmacological activities linked to its rich phytochemical profile, underscoring its therapeutic potential and the need for further clinical research.

The ethanolic root extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis shows potent, reversible post-coital antifertility effects in rats via estrogenic mechanisms, supporting its potential as a safe herbal contraceptive.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis exhibits significant antifertility effects in animal models through antiovulatory, antiimplantation, and spermatogenic disruption mechanisms, highlighting its potential as a safe, reversible herbal contraceptive pending further research.

Routine consumption of hibiscus tea or juice may affect female fertility by disrupting ovulation, implantation, and hormonal balance. Women trying to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments should be cautious and discuss herbal intake with their healthcare provider to avoid unintended reproductive consequences.

A case report highlights hibiscus tea’s phytoestrogens potentially lowering VT risk while interfering with VF hormone therapy, emphasizing a need for cautious use and further research.

This systematic review links sex hormone levels with gut microbiota composition and diversity, revealing associations that may underpin sex-specific disease risks and suggesting microbiota modulation as a therapeutic strategy.

This review examines estrogen’s interplay with the gut microbiome and brain, revealing their collective influence on fear extinction and anxiety disorders, highlighting critical sex differences and the potential for microbiome-targeted therapies.

Vaginal microbiota composition in young women varies daily with hormonal cycles, contraceptive use, diet, and exercise, affecting Lactobacillus dominance and community stability linked to reproductive health.

Intermittent fasting (F) may positively influence gut microbiota by improving richness and diversity. However, findings are inconsistent across studies, requiring more research for clearer clinical recommendations.

Intermittent fasting improves weight, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women, offering a promising non-pharmacological strategy for managing metabolic disorders.

Dietary intake of (poly)phenol-rich foods modestly improves cardiometabolic risk factors and reduces oxidative stress in postmenopausal women, with gut microbiome variability influencing outcomes.

Ketogenic diets effectively improve metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory profiles in female endocrine disorders, aiding COS, menopause, and hormone-related cancers by promoting weight loss and reducing insulin resistance.

A plant-based diet with soy reduces hot flashes in postmenopausal women, potentially by modulating gut bacteria linked to inflammation and estrogen metabolism.

Menopausal hot flashes are one of the most common and disruptive symptoms that women experience during the transition to menopause. Characterized by sudden sensations of heat, sweating, and flushing, hot flashes can significantly affect a woman’s quality of life, causing sleep disturbances, mood swings, and even long-term health consequences. Understanding the complex mechanisms behind hot flashes, as well as the role of microbiome-targeted therapies, offers new avenues for improving menopausal health.

Menopause disrupts multiple microbiomes, elevating risks for infections, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis. Targeted interventions including probiotics, diet, and hormone therapy improve health outcomes.

Menopause alters gut microbiota composition and estrogen metabolism, contributing to symptoms and disease risks. Prebiotic and probiotic interventions show promise for symptom relief and metabolic health improvement.

Mind-body therapies like hypnosis effectively reduce menopausal hot flashes; natural products and whole-system AM approaches show mixed evidence. More high-quality research is needed.

Estrogen therapy remains the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, with transdermal delivery preferred for safety. Non-hormonal options offer moderate relief; emerging therapies like ERMs and androgens show promise but require cautious use.

This review finds insufficient evidence that black cohosh effectively reduces menopausal symptoms. Hormone therapy outperforms black cohosh, which appears safe but needs further study for efficacy and impact on quality of life.

Combining Rhodiola rosea and Actaea racemosa extracts significantly improves menopausal symptoms and quality of life, outperforming black cohosh alone with good safety.

Rhodiola rosea shows promise as a natural selective estrogen receptor modulator, offering neuroprotective, cardiovascular, and bone health benefits for menopausal women with fewer risks than conventional therapies.

This review details the estrogenic activity, neuroprotective effects, and clinical relevance of medicinal plants for menopausal women, highlighting their potential to prevent cognitive decline and neurodegeneration via microbiome-associated mechanisms.

What was studied?The study examined the metabolic changes that occur during menopause, focusing on how menopause modulates circulating metabolites in midlife women. Researchers specifically analyzed 94 charged metabolites, including amino acids, fatty acids, and other small molecules, to assess how these metabolic changes correlate with the increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease […]

This review synthesizes evidence on menopause-related lipid metabolic disorders, emphasizing estrogen deficiency, dietary interventions, and the role of probiotics and microbiome modulation in improving metabolic health among postmenopausal women.

Menopause is linked to significant metabolic shifts, including a proatherogenic lipid profile and altered amino acid levels, which may increase cardiovascular and metabolic disease risks in women. The study highlights the importance of monitoring metabolic health during menopause.

This study reveals significant metabolic changes in postmenopausal women, including a pro-atherogenic lipid profile and increased amino acids linked to cardiovascular and metabolic risk, emphasizing menopause as a key factor in long-term health risks.

This study links urinary heavy metal exposure (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead) to altered sex hormone levels in midlife women, with stronger effects during the perimenopausal transition. It suggests that metal exposure may accelerate ovarian aging and impact long-term health outcomes.

The study links higher urinary arsenic and lead concentrations to earlier menopause, suggesting that exposure to these metals accelerates ovarian aging. Women with higher environmental risk scores (RS) experienced menopause earlier, emphasizing the role of metal mixtures in reproductive health.

This review details how environmental metal exposures influence menopause onset, symptoms, and OVID-19 outcomes, emphasizing the potential for trace mineral supplementation and the need for monitoring heavy metal and micronutrient status in menopausal women.

This review outlines the evaluation and management of osteoporosis in premenopausal women, emphasizing secondary causes, appropriate MD interpretation, and tailored treatment—highlighting the importance of individualized care and cautious pharmacotherapy in this population.

This review challenges the labeling of hot flashes as mere menopausal symptoms, proposing they signal underlying neurovascular dysregulation linked to chronic disease risk, and calls for new clinical and research approaches.

This study demonstrates significant alterations in gut bacteria, fungi, and metabolites in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, revealing microbial and metabolic signatures closely linked to bone mineral density and providing a basis for early diagnosis and targeted interventions.

This review elucidates the neuroendocrine and thermoregulatory mechanisms of menopausal hot flashes, evaluating objective measurement and treatment strategies, with a focus on central sympathetic activation and the limited role of the microbiome or estrogen alone in F etiology.

This study identifies distinct gut microbiome and functional gene signatures associated with osteoporosis and osteopenia in postmenopausal women, highlighting key microbial taxa and metabolic pathways that may influence bone health and serve as potential targets for clinical intervention.

Menopause is linked to reduced gut microbiome diversity, loss of beneficial Firmicutes and Roseburia, and increased risk-associated taxa and metabolic pathways. These changes may contribute to higher metabolic and immune disease risk, highlighting the microbiome’s potential as a therapeutic and biomarker target.

Menopause in Latina women is linked to distinctive gut microbiome and estrobolome alterations, resembling those in men, and these microbial changes are associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. The study identifies specific microbiome signatures potentially mediating menopause-related metabolic effects.

Greater fecal microbiome diversity in postmenopausal women correlates with urinary estrogen metabolite profiles linked to lower breast cancer risk. Specific taxa, notably Clostridiales, are associated with beneficial estrogen metabolism signatures.

This study found that menopausal syndrome is linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis, with reduced Bifidobacterium animalis and altered metabolic pathways, suggesting microbiome-targeted interventions may benefit menopausal women.

This study reveals how SH-driven changes in perimenopausal women associate with distinct gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles, linking specific bacteria and metabolic pathways to symptoms like bone pain and mental disturbances, with implications for personalized management strategies.

What was reviewed?This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from 46 community-based studies across 24 countries, assessing the influence of socioeconomic position (EP) and lifestyle factors on age at natural menopause (NM). The review sought to determine overall mean NM globally, compare regional differences, and quantify the impact of EP (education, occupation, income) and modifiable […]

Menopause reduces gut microbiome diversity and shifts composition toward a male-like profile, likely due to declining estrogen and progesterone. These changes may impact postmenopausal health and disease risk, highlighting the gut microbiome as a promising therapeutic target.