The effect of oral vitamin E and omega-3 alone and in combination on menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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#female #hot-flashes #humans #menopause #vitamin-e

The effect of oral vitamin E and omega-3 alone and in combination on menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Maghalian et al., 2022 | Post Reprod Health | Meta Analysis

Citation

Maghalian Mahsa, Hasanzadeh Robab, Mirghafourvand Mojgan. The effect of oral vitamin E and omega-3 alone and in combination on menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Post Reprod Health. 2022-Jun;28(2):93-106. doi:10.1177/20533691221083196

Abstract

This systematic review was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin E and omega-3 used alone and in combination on the frequency and intensity of hot flushes (primary outcomes) and adverse effects (secondary outcome) in menopausal women. English and Persian databases were searched until March 18, 2021. The quality of the published papers was evaluated using Cochrane Handbook and the meta-analysis was conducted in RevMan 5.3. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2. In cases with substantial heterogeneity, a random effects model was used instead of a fixed effects model. A total of 387 papers were obtained from the databases. Finally, 10 papers with a sample size of 1100 participants entered the systematic review and a meta-analysis was conducted on nine of them. The results of the meta-analysis of two studies indicated that using vitamin E and omega-3 in combination significantly reduced the intensity of hot flushes compared to the placebo (mean difference (MD): -0.35; 95% CI: -0.48 to -0.21). The mean frequency (MD: -0.50; 95% CI: -1.58 to 0.58) and intensity (SMD: -0.61; 95% CI: -1.50 to 0.29) of hot flushes in the omega-3 group and the frequency of hot flushes (SMD: -0.21; 95% CI: -0.47 to 0.04) in the vitamin E group showed no significant differences with the placebo. No serious adverse effects were reported in the studies. Given the low number of RCTs, more clinical trials with larger sample size are required.

Key Findings

Given the low number of RCTs, more clinical trials with larger sample size are required.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 1100
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Female
  • Hot Flashes
  • Humans
  • Menopause
  • Vitamin E

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-e

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09