Serum metabolomic profiles associated with postmenopausal hormone use

Area of Science:

• Metabolomics
• Endocrinology
• Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

• Postmenopausal hormone therapy is associated with various health outcomes.
• The risks may differ based on estrogen-only versus combined estrogen-progestin use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific metabolites associated with different postmenopausal hormone regimens.
• To investigate metabolic differences between estrogen-only and estrogen plus progestin users.

Main Methods:

• Untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum from 1336 postmenopausal women.
• Comparison of 781 named metabolites between nonusers, estrogen-only users, and estrogen plus progestin users.
• Linear regression analysis to identify statistically significant metabolite associations.

Main Results:

• 276 metabolites associated with estrogen-only use and 222 with estrogen plus progestin use compared to nonusers.
• Commonly associated metabolites include lipids, acyl carnitines, amino acids, thyroxine, and fumarate.
• 65 metabolites differed between hormone groups, including steroids and arachidonic acid-containing lipids.

Conclusions:

• Postmenopausal hormone use impacts metabolic pathways involved in cellular processes like metabolism, stress response, energy production, and inflammation.
• Differential lipid associations suggest altered cellular signaling pathways may underlie disparate disease risks between hormone regimens.