Association of lean body mass to menopausal symptoms: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Association of lean body mass to menopausal symptoms: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Rosanne Woods* , Rebecca Hess, Carol Biddington and Marc Federico
Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of lean body mass (LBM) to the development of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) as women transition through menopause. Methods: This study is a secondary use of data available for public use from follow up visits six through 10 for participants in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. The study examined 2533 women, between the ages 42–52 years, each year over a10-year period. Data was modeled for associations of lean body mass and VMS. Changes in LBM since prior visit and since baseline were also modeled along with differences in means using binary logistic regression, adjusting for covariates. Results: LBM was significantly associated to concurrent VMS (p = .036), percent change in LBM since prior visit (p = .003), percent change since baseline (p < .001), and overall means associations (p = .023). LBM was not significant for VMS at individual visit measures. In mixed regression modeling, time was significant (p < .0001) at all visits. The estimated probability of developing VMS decreases significantly as LBM increases. Conclusions: Lean body mass is negatively associated with incident VMS. Our data suggests that maintaining higher levels of LBM during the menopausal transition may be protective against the development of VMS. Every woman will experience menopause in her life and the ability to potentially prevent the onset of specific symptoms through basic interventions, such as resistance training to increase lean body mass, may positively impact this large population. Keywords: Lean body mass, Vasomotor symptoms, Hot flashes, Menopause - women
Introduction Menopause is a significant event in many women’s lives as it marks the end of the natural reproductive life. For most women, menopause will occur between the ages of 40 and 58 years with the average being 51 years [1]. About 80–96% of women experience mild to severe physical or physiological menopause-related complaints as they approach menopause due to declining estrogen levels [2]. Symptoms may include hot flashes and night * Correspondence: [email protected] Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies, California University of Pennsylvania, 50 University Ave, California, PA 15419, USA
sweats, depression, irritability, sleep disorders, increased abdominal fat mass, increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease [3]. Hot flashes and night sweats are the most common symptoms of menopause and are collectively referred to as vasomotor symptoms (VMS). It is reported that 60– 80% of women will experience VMS at some point during the menopausal transition [4]. As they transition through menopause, women will simultaneously experience a decrease in basal metabolic rate and a loss of lean muscle tissue which increases the risk of weight gain and ob
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