Body fatness and endogenous sex hormones in the menopausal transition

Abstract

a b s t r a c tBackground: Age at the final menstrual period is of clinical and public health interest because the age at which natural menopause occurs may be a marker of ageing and health, and in general the menopausal transition increases the risk of many diseases, e.g. redistribution in the pattern of adiposity during the menopausal transition may increase risk of metabolic disease. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between the menopausal status and body fatness. Subjects and methods: A random sample of 1932Hungarian women was studied. Body composition was estimated by body impedance analysis. In a subsample free estradiol and progesterone levels in saliva were quantified. Results: Body fat mass increased until the late 50s and then had a decrease through senescence. Premenopausal women who were much older than the median age at menopause had a higher amount of fat than their postmenopausal age-peers, while postmenopausal women, whose menopause occurred much earlier than the median age at menopause, had less fat than their premenopausal age-peers. The body fat mass in premenopausal women with low levels of sex hormones was always below the agemedian value of the menopausal status subgroups, while the body fat mass of postmenopausal women with high levels of sex hormone levels was above the age-median values. Conclusions: The analysis of body fatness in the menopausal transition revealed that (1) the rate of reproductive ageing and the body fat pattern were significantly related, and (2) body fat mass of women with unexpected levels of sex hormones was related more to their hormonal levels than to their menopausal status or their age. Thus future epidemiological screenings of women exposed to higher levels of menopause-related health risks should be expanded beyond the estimation of menopausal status based only on menstrual history to include sex hormone level assessment, as well as body composition analysis.

Sex Differences: A Resultant of an Evolutionary Pressure?

“…This virtuous cycle, perfected to maintain all nutrient excess in safe deposits and use/reuse cholesterol for reproductive purposes, may explain why during their fertile life women are less susceptible than males to the metabolic diseases and related cardiovascular consequences (Kim and Reaven, 2013;Pradhan, 2014). However, this subtle equilibrium is under estrogenic control and the ovarian activity decreases to eventually stops with ageing (Auro et al, 2014;Swiger et al, 2014;Tchernof and Poehlman, 2000;Toth et al, 2000;Wildman and Sowers, 2011;Zsakai et al, 2016). The consequence of this is the increased synthesis of hepatic lipids, the impairment of the subtle mechanisms controlling cholesterol reverse transport and lipid redistribution from their original safes to other adipose tissues more active from the metabolic point of view.…”

The Phytoestrogen Genistein Produces Similar Effects as 17β-Estradiol on Anxiety-Like Behavior in Rats at 12 Weeks after Ovariectomy

“…Natural or surgical menopause leads to low concentrations of estrogen and other hormones [ 1 ], among other physiological and psychological changes. The long-term reduction of estrogen predisposes women to the development of clinical signs, including skin atrophy [ 2 ], memory alterations [ 3 ], osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease [ 4 ], and anxiety and depression episodes [ 5 , 6 ].…”

“…These effects appear to be related to the activation of estrogen receptor- β (ER β ). Genistein has a structural conformation that is similar to 17 β -estradiol, which allows it to be recognized by ER β [ 1 , 20 – 22 ]. Therefore, genistein has been proposed as a possibly safe substitute for estradiol to ameliorate both physiological symptoms and anxiety associated with low concentrations of ovarian hormones, such as during natural and surgical menopause.…”

Actions of progesterone on depression-like behavior in a model of surgical menopause are mediated by GABAA receptors

“…During surgical menopause induced by hysterectomy with or without ovary removal (i.e., oophorectomy), plasma and brain concentrations of the steroid hormones estradiol and progesterone abruptly decrease, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels increase through a reduction of inhibin A (Muttukrishna et al, 2002). In the long-term, these hormonal changes caused by surgical menopause can produce more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression compared with natural menopause (Erekson, Martin, & Ratner, 2013;Zsakai et al, 2016).…”