The influence of menopause and hormonal replacement therapy on body cell mass and body fat mass

Abstract

Objective: Our purpose was to determine the efficacy of dietary calcium augmentation in the prevention of early postmenopausal bone density loss in comparison with hormonal replacement therapy and placebo.

Study design: A three-arm parallel randomized trial comparing the influence of placebo, dietary calcium augmentation, and estrogen-progesterone-calcium in 118 women who were within 6 years of menopause was conducted. Dual photon absorptiometry was performed annually to measure lean and fat mass. In addition, the ratio of fat in the trunk/extremities was measured.

Results: Body weight increased in each group. The increase was statistically significant in the hormone replacement group (0.8 kg/year). The percent of body fat increased in each group from baseline measurements, with the greatest increase in the hormonal replacement group. There was a decline in the extremity/trunk ratio in the hormonal replacement group as a result of a relatively greater increase in the trunk fat mass. There was a rapid rate of loss in lean body mass that was equal among groups.

Conclusions: Menopause is associated with a gain in fat mass and a loss of lean body mass, but these changes in body composition are not prevented by hormone replacement therapy.