# Effect of different exercise interventions on metabolic syndrome risk factors in postmenopausal women: a network meta-analysis

## TL;DR

This study compares how different types of exercise affect metabolic syndrome risk factors in postmenopausal women, finding that combined training, aerobic exercise, resistance training, and mind-body exercises each have unique benefits.

## Contribution

A network meta-analysis ranks the effectiveness of various exercise interventions on specific metabolic syndrome risk factors in postmenopausal women.

## Key findings

- Combined training most effectively reduces body weight, BMI, and triglycerides in postmenopausal women.
- Mind-body exercise shows the strongest effect on lowering blood pressure and improving adiponectin levels.
- Aerobic exercise is most effective for reducing body fat and improving cholesterol levels.

## Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare and rank the effectiveness of various exercise interventions on metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors in postmenopausal women.

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Randomized controlled trials investigating exercise effects on MetS risk factors in postmenopausal women were included. Two reviewers screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias and strength of evidence. Analysis was performed by RStudio and Stata 16.0.

This study encompassed 142 RCTs with 7,967 women. The results of the network meta-analysis indicated that combined training (CT) had the greatest effect on body weight (surface under the cumulative ranking [SUCRA] = 0.897), body mass index (SUCRA = 0.923) and triglyceride levels (SUCRA = 0.783); aerobic exercise (AE) had the most significant effect on body fat percentage (SUCRA = 0.856), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SUCRA = 0.765), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (SUCRA = 0.814); resistance training (RT) had the greatest effect on waist circumference (SUCRA = 0.834), glucose (SUCRA = 0.929),and total cholesterol levels (SUCRA = 0.776); mind-body exercise (MBE) had the most significant effect on diastolic blood pressure (SUCRA = 0.969), systolic blood pressure (SUCRA = 0.921), and adiponectin levels (SUCRA = 0.808).

AE, CT, RT, and MBE demonstrated varying degrees of effectiveness in improving different MetS risk factors in postmenopausal women. Selecting appropriate exercise modalities based on individual metabolic risk profiles and health goals is important to achieve optimal intervention outcomes. These findings provide valuable guidance for clinical practice. However, considering the limitations such as the low quality of evidence and high risk of bias in the included studies, the conclusions should be interpreted with caution.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023456584, identifier CRD42023456584.