Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause-Related Quality of Life, Microbiome, Perimenopause
Conditions
Keywords
Perimenopause, Menopausal Symptoms, Postbiotic, Gut Microbiome, Women's Health, Hormonal Balance, Menopause, Vaginal Microbiome, Greene Climacteric Scale, Cervantes Short Form, Dietary Supplement, Microbiome, Non-hormonal Support, Quality of Life
Brief summary
The goal of this consumer health study is to evaluate the effect of resW™ Perimenopause Postbiotic on menopausal symptom severity, menopause-related quality of life, and selected microbiome-related outcomes in generally healthy perimenopausal women aged 35 to 55 years. Participants will be randomized to receive either the active supplement or placebo daily for 4 weeks. Participants will complete electronic questionnaires at baseline and during the study. A predefined subset of participants will also complete stool and vaginal sample collection at baseline and Week 4.
Detailed description
This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group consumer health study evaluating the effect of resW™ Perimenopause Postbiotic in generally healthy perimenopausal women aged 35 to 55 years. Eligible participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either resW™ Perimenopause Postbiotic or placebo for 4 weeks. Participants will take 2 capsules daily and complete electronic study questionnaires through the Chloe app. Menopausal symptom severity and menopause-related quality of life will be assessed using the Greene Climacteric Scale and Cervantes Short Form at baseline and Week 4, with an interim Greene Climacteric Scale assessment at Week 2. A predefined microbiome substudy subset of approximately 20 participants will complete stool and vaginal sample collection at baseline and Week 4. These samples will be used to evaluate exploratory changes in stool microbiome composition, vaginal microbiome composition, and vaginal pH. Safety and tolerability will be monitored throughout the study through adverse event reporting, compliance tracking, and participant-reported feedback.
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTSupplement
Active supplement
OTHERPlacebo
Inactive supplement
Sponsors
Able Biolabs, LLC
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
35 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Provide voluntary, signed, and dated informed consent. * Female, aged 35 to 55 years, inclusive. * Currently experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, mood changes, sleep disturbance, or irregular cycles. * In generally good health as determined by self-reported medical history. * Agree to maintain existing diet, exercise, and lifestyle patterns throughout the study period. * Able and willing to comply with all study procedures, including electronic consent, app-based data entry, and study questionnaires. * Participants selected for the microbiome substudy must be willing to complete stool and vaginal sample collection. * Females of childbearing potential must agree to use a medically acceptable form of birth control during the study. * Agree to refrain from taking other probiotic, prebiotic, postbiotic, hormonal, or menopause-support supplements during the study. * Have reliable internet or smartphone access.
Exclusion criteria
* Currently pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. * History or current diagnosis of gynecologic disorders or other conditions affecting hormonal balance. * Current or recent use of hormone replacement therapy or hormonal medications. * History of unstable or newly diagnosed cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, or significant metabolic disorders. * Known gastrointestinal disease or condition affecting absorption or metabolism. * Known allergy or sensitivity to any ingredient in the study supplement. * Current participation in another clinical study involving an investigational product or device, or participation in such a study within the past 30 days. * Any other medical or psychiatric condition that, in the opinion of the investigator or study team, could interfere with study participation, compliance, or interpretation of study results.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Greene Climacteric Scale total score from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in the Greene Climacteric Scale total score. The Greene Climacteric Scale is a 21-item questionnaire assessing climacteric symptoms. Total scores range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating greater climacteric symptom severity, which is a worse outcome. |
| Changes in gut microbiota composition associated with hormonal health | 4 weeks | Change from baseline to Week 4 in gut microbiota composition assessed using stool sample microbiome sequencing. Gut microbiota composition will be evaluated by measures including microbial taxonomic relative abundance and diversity metrics derived from sequencing data. This outcome will assess changes in the composition of bacterial taxa in stool samples associated with hormonal health. |
| Change in Cervantes Short Form total score from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in the Cervantes Short Form Scale total score. The Cervantes Short Form Scale is a validated menopause-specific quality-of-life questionnaire assessing menopause-related quality of life across physical, psychological, and aging-related domains. Total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating poorer menopause-related quality of life, which is a worse outcome. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in stool microbiome alpha diversity from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in stool microbiome alpha diversity, assessed using diversity indices such as the Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity index, or observed amplicon sequence variants/species richness, in participants enrolled in the microbiome substudy. |
| Change in stool microbial taxonomic composition from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in the relative abundance of stool microbial taxa, assessed using stool sample microbiome sequencing, in participants enrolled in the microbiome substudy. |
| Change in vaginal microbiome alpha diversity from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in vaginal microbiome alpha diversity, assessed using diversity indices such as the Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity index, or observed amplicon sequence variants/species richness, in participants enrolled in the microbiome substudy. |
| Change in relative abundance of vaginal microbial taxa from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in the relative abundance of vaginal microbial taxa, including Lactobacillus species and bacterial vaginosis-associated taxa, assessed using vaginal sample microbiome sequencing, in participants enrolled in the microbiome substudy. |
| Change in vaginal pH from baseline to Week 4 | Baseline to Week 4 | Change from baseline to Week 4 in vaginal pH, measured from vaginal samples using a pH test method, in participants enrolled in the microbiome substudy. Vaginal pH is measured on a continuous scale, with higher values indicating greater vaginal alkalinity. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed