Combined effect of physical exercise and hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular and metabolic health in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The cardioprotective effect of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been demonstrated in several studies. Similarly, physical exercise has yielded positive results. However, the effects of their combination remain inconclusive. This review describes the combined effects of physical exercise and hormone therapy on cardiovascular and metabolic health in postmenopausal women. We searched the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase databases and included randomized controlled trials published up to December 2021 on the combined effects of physical exercise and hormone therapy on cardiovascular and metabolic health in postmenopausal women. We identified 148 articles, of which only seven met the inclusion criteria (386 participants; 91 [23%] HRT + exercise; 104 [27%] HRT; 103 [27%] exercise; 88 [23%] placebo). The combined treatment further decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to the isolated effect of aerobic training (AT) (mean difference [MD]=-1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI]=-2.65 to -0.72, n=73). Nevertheless, it attenuated the decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (MD=0.78; 95%CI: 0.22-1.35, n=73), and the increase in peak oxygen consumption (VO(2 peak)) promoted by exercise (AT + HRT=2.8±1.4 vs AT + placebo=5.8±3.4, P=0.02). The combination of AT and oral HRT improved SBP. However, AT alone seemed to have a better effect on physical fitness and DBP in postmenopausal women.