ProGo Menopause Wellbeing Study

The menopause transition (MT) is the phase leading up to menopause. Menopause is defined as 12 consecutive months without menstruation in the absence of other causes and marks the end of reproductive function, with the final menstrual period (FMP) reflecting cessation of ovarian follicular activity. The menopause is variable in its onset, overall length, severity of symptoms, and impact on functioning, and irregular ovulation and fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels, gives rise to a broad spectrum of symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain and musculoskeletal pain. Women commonly experience a broader symptom burden, averaging 7 to 10 concurrent symptoms across psychological, cognitive, pain, and sleep domains which can substantially impair quality of life and comprise a substantial proportion of the menopausal symptom burden. ProGo®, a salmon protein hydrolysate, has demonstrated benefits relevant to the menopause and healthy ageing. ProGo® is produced through controlled enzymatic processing and consists predominantly of water-soluble peptides with an average size of 2,500-3,000 Daltons, supporting rapid digestion and systemic availability. In addition to its protein content, ProGo® contains naturally occurring micronutrients and collagen-derived peptides that may support metabolic and cellular energy demands. Across human and preclinical studies, ProGo® has demonstrated moderate reductions in body mass index (BMI) of ca.6% in two trials of healthy, overweight subjects. Improved energy levels may in part explain the positive BMI outturn. The studies also showed a reduction in inflammation and improved fat metabolism which might also have contributed to the observed weight loss. The comparator in these studies, whey protein, was either weight neutral or resulted in a small amount of weight gain (ca.1.5%). It should be noted that the studies were of 6-8 weeks duration and therefore persistence of the BMI reduction has not been fully elucidated. Nevertheless an 18-week study of ProGo® supplementation at 4.0g per day showed very similar antioxidant effects as well as on metabolic health biomarkers along with improvements in self-reported energy and fatigue-related symptoms. Together, these findings support the biological plausibility of ProGo® as a nutritional intervention to support health during midlife and beyond such as during the menopause. Accordingly, this study is designed to evaluate the effect of ProGo® supplementation on BMI and quality of life as co-primary outcomes in menopausal women. Specifically, this randomized, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate two daily doses of ProGo® (2.0 g and 4.0 g) compared with placebo in otherwise healthy menopausal women who are overweight. As noted above, 4.0g per day provided a similar magnitude of changes in biomarkers related to energy and wellbeing as higher daily serving sizes (12.0g and 16.0g) employed in previous studies. In vitro work has indicated that 2.0g per day could provide similar health benefits as 4.0g per day which would also increase convenience of taking ProGo®, whether as a powder of tablets. Hence the selection of the 2.0g per day and 4.0g per day for this study. A fully decentralized study design is employed to enhance accessibility and real-world relevance while supporting frequent symptom assessment. The co-primary outcomes are change in BMI (kg/m²), assessed weekly via standardized self-measurement, and change in menopause-specific quality of life, assessed using the menopause-specific quality of life (MENQoL) questionnaire at baseline, Week 9, and Week 18. Secondary outcomes include anthropometric measures, skin health assessment via standardized photography, vasomotor symptom severity, appetite, wearable-derived activity and sleep metrics, and dried blood spot biomarkers to provide mechanistic context. The trial aims to characterize the magnitude and trajectory of BMI and quality-of-life change, explore dose-response relationships, and inform the role of ProGo® as a nutritional strategy for addressing weight gain and symptom burden during the menopausal transition.