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Changes in energy balance and body composition at menopause: a controlled longitudinal study
E T Poehlman1, M J Toth, A W Gardner
1University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
Annals of Internal Medicine
|November 1, 1995
Summary
Menopause significantly impacts women's health, leading to decreased resting metabolic rate and physical activity. This transition is linked to loss of fat-free mass and increased central adiposity, potentially raising cardiovascular risks.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic health and women's health research.
- Physiology and endocrinology of aging.
Background:
- Menopause is a natural biological transition in women's lives.
- Understanding metabolic and body composition changes during menopause is crucial for health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of natural menopause on resting metabolic rate, body composition, fat distribution, physical activity, and fasting insulin levels.
- To compare these changes in women who underwent menopause versus those who remained premenopausal.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study comparing 18 women who experienced natural menopause with 17 age-matched premenopausal women over 6 years.
- Participants were initially healthy, sedentary premenopausal women aged 44-48 years.
- No hormone replacement therapy was administered to participants.
Main Results:
- Menopausal women experienced greater loss of fat-free mass and increases in fat mass compared to premenopausal women.
- Resting metabolic rate and physical activity during leisure time significantly decreased in menopausal women.
- Menopause was associated with increased waist-to-hip ratio and elevated fasting insulin levels, indicating a worsening metabolic risk profile.
Conclusions:
- Natural menopause is associated with reduced energy expenditure and accelerated loss of fat-free mass.
- Increased central adiposity and elevated fasting insulin levels post-menopause suggest a higher cardiovascular and metabolic risk.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring metabolic health in postmenopausal women.
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