Effects of menopausal hormone therapy on body fat

Abstract

Population aging has become a global phenomenon. The increase in life expectancy occurs in both genders, however, the most significant growth occurred in the female population. This means that an increasingly large number of women will live longer in post-menopausal state, which is already equivalent to one third of their lives. Another phenomenon that accompanies longevity is the escalating prevalence of obesity, which has increased dramatically in recent decades. The World Health Organization estimates for 2015 a prevalence of 2.3 billion overweight adults and more than 700 million obese. We know that in the transition from the fertile phase for thenon-reproductive phase, denominated perimenopause, women start already predisposed to weight gain and, due to estrogen deficiency, the pattern of fat deposition becomes more phenotypically similar to men’s, assuming anandroid pattern, in other words, with predominant accumulation in the abdominal region. The excess of visceral fat is associated with the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and increased risk of cardiovascular events. Although there are controversies, some evidence supports that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) can alleviate this situation. The MHT is not associated with weight gain or increased body fat, on the contrary, seems to play a protective metabolic role, preventing or decreasing the remodeling of adipose tissue pattern gynecoid for android. Our goal is to discuss body changes experienced by women during the climacteric period, particularly about weight and body fat distribution, in addition to addressing the possible effects of MHT in this context.