Changes in body composition and weight during the menopause transition.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective longitudinal cohort study with repeated measures over time
PubMed 30843880 · doi:10.1172/jci.insight.124865
What was done
Researchers analyzed longitudinal data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) cohort to evaluate changes in body composition and weight across the menopause transition (MT), independent of chronological aging. Body composition was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Multivariable mixed-effects piece-wise linear models assessed trajectories of fat mass, lean mass, and weight before and after the final menstrual period (FMP), adjusting for age at FMP, race, study site, and hormone therapy.
What was found
No absolute numerical values (e.g., kilograms or percentages) were provided in the abstract. Reported directional and rate findings include: - Prior to the MT, fat and lean mass both increased. - At the onset of the MT, the rate of fat gain doubled and lean mass declined; these changes persisted until 2 years post-FMP, after which fat and lean mass trajectories decelerated to zero slope. - Total body weight increased linearly during premenopause without acceleration at the MT, flattening after the MT, because accelerated fat gain was balanced by lean mass loss.
Why it matters
This study shows that while the menopause transition does not accelerate overall weight gain, it independently drives an adverse shift in body composition via accelerated fat gain and concurrent loss of lean mass.
Limits
The abstract does not report the sample size (n), absolute effect sizes, or confidence intervals. As an observational study, unmeasured confounding from diet, physical activity, or other lifestyle factors across the transition cannot be excluded from the abstract details.
Cited by
- contradicts The menopause transition in and of itself does not accelerate the loss of lean muscle mass.