A Home-based Breathing Training on Menopausal Symptoms

This is a prospective, triple-blinded and randomized controlled trial examining the effects of a home-based breathing training assisted with biofeedback on menopausal symptoms and autonomic functions among community menopausal women. We also examines whether the changes in autonomic functions would be mediators between slow breathing and menopausal symptoms. This study will include menopausal women, aged from 45 to 64, who experienced menopausal symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 80) or a waiting-list control group (n = 80). The intervention group will undergo the home-based breathing training 20 minutes twice daily and participants in the control condition will participate the same breathing training after a four-week waiting list period. The primary outcome measures are menopausal symptoms measured by symptom diaries of menopausal symptoms and the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS). Secondary outcome measures are autonomic functions expressed by blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). Measurements will be taken at baseline, week 4, and week 8.