Menopause and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

Research is limited on the impacts of menopause, defined as the permanent cessation of ovarian function and decline of reproductive hormones, on gastrointestinal symptom severity and disease progression in women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This review synthesizes current evidence on the impact of menopause, menopause transition, and hormonal therapy (HT) on disease activity, IBD and menopause symptom severity, and disease progression among individuals with IBD.

A systematic literature review was reported following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and preregistered at PROSPERO (CRD42024564901). Five databases were searched without date restrictions. Data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment were performed independently by multiple reviewers. Results were qualitatively synthesized.

Of 1667 records, 15 studies met inclusion criteria (5 cohort, 3 case-control, 7 cross-sectional) with IBD sample sizes from 37 to 1367. Evidence on HT and IBD risk was mixed: some studies linked HT to increased ulcerative colitis risk while others found no significant association after adjusting for confounders. Women with IBD experience earlier menopause than healthy control subjects. While most women reported no change in IBD symptoms postmenopause, a minority reported symptom worsening. HT may reduce flare severity. Women with IBD reported more severe vulvovaginal symptoms and had distinct vaginal microbiome profiles compared with healthy control subjects.

Few studies have explored the relationship between menopause and IBD. There is a need for continued research on the relationship between IBD disease activity and menopause symptoms to create tailored interventions to improve women's health with IBD across the lifespan.