Fat mass gains and lean mass losses linked to perimenopause

The time in a woman’s life when hormonal changes lead to irregular menstruation, hot flushes/flashes and other symptoms leading up to the menopause is known as perimenopause.  Researchers at the University of California found that women undergoing perimenopause lost lean body mass and more than doubled their fat mass.  Interestingly the lean and fat mass remained stable after the transition to menopause.

Using 18 years of data from the Study of Women’ Health Across the Nation, the researchers looked at women before, during and after their final menstrual period, accounting for variables including the use of hormone therapy.