Effect of menopausal status on body composition and abdominal fat distribution

OBJECTIVE: Preliminary studies suggest that the menopause transition is ass ociated with deleterious changes in body composition and abdominal fat dist ribution. Limitations of the methodology used in these studies, however, re nder their conclusions controversial. Thus, the present study used radiolog ic imaging techniques to examine the effect of menopausal status on body co mposition and abdominal fat distribution. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SUBJECTS: Fifty-three healthy, middle-aged, premenopausal women (mean +/- S D; 47 +/- 3 y) and 28 early-postmenopausal women (51 +/- 4 y), MEASUREMENTS: Total and regional body composition by dual energy X-ray abso rptiometry and abdominal fat distribution by computed tomography, RESULTS: No differences in total body fat-free mass or appendicular skeleta l muscle mass were noted between groups. In contrast, total body fat mass w as 28% higher (23 +/- 7 vs 18 +/- 7 kg) and percentage fat 17% higher (35 /- 6 vs 30 +/- 9%; both P < 0.01) in postmenopausal women compared with pre menopausal women. Postmenopausal women had a 49% greater intra-abdominal (8 8 +/- 32 vs 59 +/- 32 cm(2); P < 0.01) and a 22% greater abdominal subcutan eous fat area (277 +/- 93 vs 227 +/- 108 cm(2); P < 0.05) compared to preme nopausal women. The menopause-related difference in intra-abdominal fat per sisted (P < 0.05) after statistical adjustment for age and total body fat m ass, whereas no difference in abdominal subcutaneous fat was noted. A simil ar pattern of differences in total and abdominal adiposity was noted in sub -samples of pre- and postmenopausal women matched for age or fat mass. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that early-postmenopausal status is associated with a preferential increase in intraabdominal fat that is independent of age and total body fat mass.