Fat Mass Is Associated with Aging Rather than Menopausal Transition
Carmen Gabriela Barbu1,2, Irina Manuela Nistor1, Alice Albu1,2
1Department of Endocrinology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 13, 2026
Summary
Midlife women
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Women's Health
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Midlife women experience body weight and fat distribution changes, but the causes (aging, menopause, lifestyle) are unclear.
- Menopause significantly impacts female physiology, potentially influencing body composition.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for women's health and metabolic disease prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare body fat distribution in pre- and postmenopausal women using DXA scans.
- To investigate the influence of age, menopause, and BMI on body fat parameters.
- To identify predictors of body fat distribution changes in midlife women.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 171 women (45-55 years) using Lunar osteodensitometry scans (DXA).
- Comparison of body composition parameters (total, android, gynoid fat %) between premenopausal (n=50) and postmenopausal (n=121) women.
- Multivariable linear regression to examine associations between body fat outcomes and predictors like BMI, age, and menopausal status.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in android/gynoid fat percentages or ratios between pre- and postmenopausal groups.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) was the sole significant predictor of body fat distribution.
- Total body fat percentage correlated positively with age; menopause onset age correlated with BMI. Early postmenopause showed increased android/gynoid ratio with years since menopause.
Conclusions:
- Age correlates with increased total body fat, but not BMI or menopausal status.
- In early postmenopause, the android/gynoid fat ratio increases with time since menopause.
- The study observed a median menopause onset age of 48 years, earlier than reported in other Caucasian studies.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Menopause
5.0K
Menopause, a natural biological process marking the end of a woman's fertility, typically occurs between the fifth and sixth decade of life. This phase is characterized by the exhaustion of the ovarian follicle pool, leading to less responsive ovaries despite the high levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The consequential decrease in estrogen production results in symptoms like hot flashes, heavy sweating, headaches, hair loss, muscle pains, vaginal...
5.0K
02:31Phase Transitions
23.3K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
23.3K
02:58Properties of Transition Metals
30.1K
Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
30.1K
01:58Cooperative Allosteric Transitions
8.9K
Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
8.9K
02:39Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation
21.6K
The physical form of a substance changes on changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. Vaporization occurs when the thermal motion of the molecules overcome the intermolecular forces, and the molecules (at the surface) escape into the gaseous state. When a liquid vaporizes in a closed container, gas molecules cannot escape. As these gas phase molecules...
21.6K
02:33Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
20.3K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
20.3K