Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42032055›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of impotence research2026

Soy isoflavone supplementation and sexual function in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Aysu Yildiz Karaahmet, Elham Sadeghi

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In one paragraph

Review in International journal of impotence research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Aysu Yildiz KaraahmetDepartment of Midwifery, Health Sciences Faculty, Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1134-9016
Elham SadeghiDepartment of Midwifery, Health Sciences Faculty, Avrasya University, Trabzon, Turkey. elham.sadeghi86@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7752-5575

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Postmenopausal women often experience sexual dysfunction (e.g., vaginal dryness, dyspareunia) due to estrogen decline. While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is effective, safety concerns have spurred interest in alternatives like soy isoflavones. This meta-analysis evaluated soy isoflavones' efficacy for sexual function and menopausal symptoms. We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science through May 2025 per PRISMA guidelines, identifying 13 RCTs (n = 1325) comparing soy isoflavones (40-160 mg/day) with placebo/HRT. Outcomes included Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scores. Risk of bias (Cochrane ROB-2) and heterogeneity (I²) were assessed. Soy isoflavones significantly improved vaginal dryness (SMD = - 1.88; 95% CI: -3.24 to -0.53; p = 0.006) and urogenital symptoms (SMD = - 0.33; 95% CI: -0.64 to -0.02; p = 0.04), with non-significant trends for vasomotor (p = 0.08) and psychological symptoms (p = 0.06). Effects were dose-dependent (optimal at 50-100 mg/day) and more pronounced in Asian populations. High heterogeneity (I² > 90%) reflected variability in study designs. Soy isoflavones appear safe and moderately effective for urogenital and sexual symptoms, though further standardized trials are needed to confirm long-term benefits.

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.