Bioenergetic Effects of Aging and Menopause (BEAM)
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2024-08-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The menopause transition is associated with increased risk for weight gain and a shift toward
storing fat in the belly region, which may increase risk for cardiovascular disease and
diabetes. The stress hormone cortisol is known to promote the accumulation of belly fat, and
there is evidence that low estrogen is associated with higher cortisol levels. The first aim
of the study is to determine whether low estrogen levels in premenopausal and early
postmenopausal women increase cortisol levels in the blood and in fat tissue. When estrogen
level decreases at the time of menopause, there is an increase in follicle-stimulating
hormone, or FSH. Recent evidence in mice suggests that blocking FSH prevents the increase in
belly fat. The second aim of the study is to determine whether decreasing the high FSH level
in postmenopausal women causes a decrease in belly fat and changes other factors that are
typically thought to be related to estrogen rather than FSH. Because estrogen and FSH levels
fluctuate in premenopausal and early postmenopausal women, the investigators will use an
approach that controls estrogen and FSH levels to address the aims. The investigators will
use a drug that is typically used to treat endometriosis or uterine fibroids to reduce
estrogen and FSH levels and an estrogen patch to increase estrogen in some women. The study
will generate new knowledge on how menopause affects fat gain and disease risk.