Aims: In order to assess the effects of menopause and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) on body weight and body fat distribution (determined by dual energy X-ray), early postmenopausal women were given either oral calcium (500 mg/day, control group, n=13) or HRT, a combination of estradiol valerate (EV, 2 mg/day for 21 days) with cyproterone acetate (CPA, 1 mg/day in the last 10 days of the treatment cycle, n=18; Climen, Schering).
Results: There were no differences in basal body weight and body fat distribution in the two groups before the study. In control group, a significant (P<0.05) increase in body weight (from 63.5+/-2.0 to 68.7+/-2.0 kg after 36 months) paralleled a shift to a prevalent central, android fat distribution with a slight but significant (P<0.05) increase in total body fat mass (from 23.4+/-2.1 to 29.1+/-2.1 kg), an increase in trunk (from 10.1+/-0.4 to 12.7+/-0.4 kg, P<0.05), arms (from 2.4+/-0.2 to 2.9+/-0.2 kg, P<0.05) and legs (from 6.5+/-0.4 to 7.8+/-0.4 kg, P<0.05) fat. In the HRT group total body bone mineral showed a significant increase (from 1086+/-21 to 1128+/-19 mg/cm(2), P<0.05) increase after 36 months, with no significant increase in body weight (from 62.6+/-1.8 to 65.0+/-1.9 kg), and no modifications in trunk (from 10.0+/-0.2 to 10.1+/-0.2 kg) and arms (from 2.4+/-0.1 to 2.6+/-0.1 kg) fat, but a significant increase in legs fat (from 6.9+/-0.3 to 9.9+/-0.4 kg, P<0.05).
Conclusion: Present results demonstrate that menopause is associated with an accelerated increase in body weight and body fat, with a prevalent central, android fat distribution, that can be counteracted at least in part by oral HRT.