Mitigating menopause bone loss and weight gain

The change in hormones that go along with the ‘change of life’ brings with it tangible health shifts. We’ve all heard about hot flashes and hair loss, but it also has more serious impacts.

The three biggies when it comes to menopause are brittle bones, weight gain and hot flashes. Lee Health ob-gyn Cherrie Morris, who is also VP of Operations and Chief Physician Executive, says these issues boil down to hormones.

“There’s some physical changes that happen, but that usually happens a little bit later. Because it’s really the prolonged effects of having low estrogen,” Morris said.

It happens when the ovaries stop working, as when exit childbearing years.

“The average age for menopause is 51. The range is 45 to 55, although I’ve had patients prematurely go into menopause, and I have patients who are as old as 60,” Morris said.

More than a distraction, these unwelcome changes can be a health disruption. It’s leading researchers to find treatments that would soften the blow of menopause.

University of Central Florida biomedical engineer Melanie Coathup works in the lab, tackling brittle bones and weight gain. “There’s some kind of connection, I think, between bone and fat that’s gradually becoming more and more interesting.”

One in 10 women over the age of 60 is affected by osteoporosis, and research shows that up to 20 percent of bone loss happens during menopause. Osteoporosis is related to over-activity of bone-absorbing cells in the body. Dr. Coathup’s team found that a drug now called P7C3 stopped these cells from being overactive, reduced inflammation, and drove stem cells to form bone tissue. Not only that but there is an extra benefit.

“What was remarkable with our animals was that they were not putting on this fat weight gain. They were remaining quite slim,” Coathup said.

Part of this research is looking at whether this drug can reverse existing osteoporosis. Based on findings, it could help not only menopausal women, but an entire aging population.