Comparison of Mat Pilates training-induced changes on climateric symptoms in hypertensive and normotensive postmenopausal women.

Introduction: Physical exercise has been used to improve the physiological, metabolic and psychological factors of women.

Objective: the aim of this study was to compare the 12-week Mat Pilates training-induced effect on climacteric symptoms in hypertensive and normotensive, non-obese postmenopausal women.

Methods: Forty-seven irregularly active, non-obese postmenopausal women participated in the study: 24 normotensive (58 ± 4 years) and 23 hypertensive (58 ± 4 years). They underwent 36 sessions of Mat Pilates in nonconsecutive days during 12 weeks. Climacteric symptoms were assessed by the Cervantes Scale (CER), Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and Blatt-Kupperman Menopause Index (B-K). The unpaired t-test compared the clinical characteristics between the groups. For the analysis of the questionnaires, the Spearman correlation and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the means between the groups for non-parametric data. The generalized estimates equation (GEE) was used to compare the groups and time to score the three general and domain questionnaires. The significance level adopted was ɑ = 0.05.

Results: No difference in the Mat Pilates training-induced changes were found between normotensive and hypertensive women, but there was a significant reduction in the scores of the B-K and MRS and in the percentage of disappearance of symptoms by the B-K after training in both groups. Regarding the CER, there was a reduction in symptoms in the total value and the psychological, menopause and health domains.

Conclusion: The presence of hypertension did not change the 12-week Mat Pilates training-induced benefits on the climacteric symptoms of non-obese postmenopausal women.