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Healthcare
Special Issues
Menopause Transition and Postmenopausal Health
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Menopause Transition and Postmenopausal Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Women’s and Children’s Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 4797

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xuewen Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Exercise Science, School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Interests: women’s health; aging; metabolism; physical activity; sleep
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to submit your work to this Special Issue on the menopause transition and postmenopausal health. Women may experience a variety of health issues as they go through menopause and after menopause. These issues could impact their health status and lifespan.

This Special Issue aims to publish work relevant to the health issues of women during the menopause transition and after menopause.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: observations, interventional studies on prevention or treatment, clinical and health care, research methods, concept development, and feasibility studies.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xuewen Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • menopause transition
  • postmenopause
  • midlife
  • older women
  • health issues

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

Jump to: Other

15 pages, 301 KB  
Review
Menopause-Related Changes in Sleep and the Associations with Cardiometabolic Health: A Narrative Review
by Joshua R. Sparks and Xuewen Wang
Healthcare 2025, 13(17), 2085; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172085 - 22 Aug 2025
Viewed by 3435
Abstract
This narrative review examines the complex relationship between sleep changes during the menopausal transition and cardiometabolic risks. The most common complaint about sleep is increased awakenings during sleep. Other complaints include having trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, insufficient and non-restorative sleep, [...] Read more.
This narrative review examines the complex relationship between sleep changes during the menopausal transition and cardiometabolic risks. The most common complaint about sleep is increased awakenings during sleep. Other complaints include having trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, insufficient and non-restorative sleep, and overall poor quality. Sleep determined using objective methods also indicates that greater awakenings after sleep onset are associated with the period of menopausal transition. Polysomnography recordings suggest physiological hyperarousal during sleep. Changes in other sleep metrics, such as sleep latency and sleep duration, are less consistent, and some studies suggest they may not worsen during the menopausal transition. These sleep issues are influenced by multiple factors, such as hormonal fluctuations, vasomotor symptoms, and psychosocial factors, and evidence suggests that hypothalamic kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons are key underlying mechanisms for these associations. The menopausal transition is also associated with increases in cardiometabolic risk factors, such as body fat, altered lipid profiles, blood pressure, and vascular health. Emerging evidence suggests that poor sleep health during this period is associated with increased cardiometabolic risks and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Thus, addressing sleep disturbances is crucial for comprehensive healthcare during the menopausal transition to safeguard long-term cardiometabolic health. Future research is needed to investigate interventions that can improve sleep and their impact on cardiometabolic health in this population experiencing increases in cardiometabolic risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Menopause Transition and Postmenopausal Health)

Other

Jump to: Review

27 pages, 2130 KB  
Systematic Review
Nonpharmacological Intervention Effects on Middle-Aged Women with Menopausal Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Ji-Hyun Kim and Hea-Jin Yu
Healthcare 2025, 13(24), 3206; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13243206 - 8 Dec 2025
Viewed by 359
Abstract
Background: Middle-aged women frequently experience diverse physical and psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, vasomotor symptoms, and reduced quality of life, during menopause. With increasing concerns regarding the side effects of hormone therapy, nonpharmacological interventions have emerged as safer alternatives for symptom [...] Read more.
Background: Middle-aged women frequently experience diverse physical and psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, vasomotor symptoms, and reduced quality of life, during menopause. With increasing concerns regarding the side effects of hormone therapy, nonpharmacological interventions have emerged as safer alternatives for symptom management. Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women. Methods: Thirty-two randomized controlled trials were selected from eight international and domestic databases. Interventions were categorized as nutritional or herbal, psychological, exercise-based, and complementary therapies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and meta-analyses were performed using a random effects model. Results: Nonpharmacological interventions significantly reduced symptoms of depression (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −1.10), anxiety (−0.82), sleep disturbances (−0.90), menopausal symptoms (−1.18), and hot flashes (−0.34). Improvement in quality of life was observed, but it was not statistically significant (SMD = 1.40). Subgroup analyses revealed that nutritional and herbal interventions had the most consistent effects, and psychological and exercise-based interventions were particularly effective for improving sleep outcomes and emotional well-being. Conclusions: Nonpharmacological interventions effectively improve menopausal symptoms and quality of life, with tailored and multifaceted approaches showing the greatest impact. Nurse-led, community-based programs are key delivery platforms, and sustainable outcomes require standardized protocols, cultural responsiveness, and ongoing evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Menopause Transition and Postmenopausal Health)
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