What is the Origin of Postmenopausal Body Composition?

The term is derived from the Greek menopausis ("cessation of menstruation") and the clinical measurement of body composition, which involves quantifying the different components of the body. The study of postmenopausal physiology intensified with the recognition of estrogen's widespread pleiotropic effects on adipose tissue, muscle, and bone metabolism. The unique compositional profile highlights the critical role of sex steroids in maintaining youthful tissue architecture.

What is the Mechanism of Postmenopausal Body Composition?

The decline in estrogen dramatically alters the balance between lipogenesis and lipolysis, favoring fat storage, particularly in the abdominal region due to changes in local cortisol metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Estrogen withdrawal also reduces the anabolic drive on skeletal muscle and shifts the bone remodeling balance toward resorption, accelerating bone loss. Testosterone and DHEA metabolites, though still present, are often insufficient to fully counteract these catabolic and lipogenic effects, necessitating targeted hormonal and metabolic support.

Postmenopausal Body Composition

Meaning

Postmenopausal Body Composition refers to the specific changes in fat mass distribution, lean muscle mass, and bone mineral density that occur in women following the cessation of ovarian estrogen production. This physiological state is characterized clinically by a distinct shift toward central or visceral adiposity, an accelerated loss of skeletal muscle (sarcopenia), and a rapid decline in bone density (osteoporosis risk). These compositional changes are primarily driven by the systemic withdrawal of estrogen and progesterone, significantly impacting metabolic health and overall longevity.