Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2005 May;48(5):1294-1305.

Relative influence of age and menopause on total and regional Body composition changes measured by DEXA in Postmenopausal Women

• Cho SH
• Park HM

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
In Korea, only a few reports were introduced about body fat mass of women with using the Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), highly sensitive and specific measurement for fat mass analysis. This study was carried out to determine whether total and regional body composition changes measured by DEXA were more related to age or to menopause.
METHODS
One hundred fifteen postmenopausal women who had never received estrogen replacement therapy were enrolled in Menopausal Clinic from January 2001 to April 2002. BMD and body composition were measured by DEXA. The proportions of android and gynoid fat were calculated in all women and differences were sought by ANOVA test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression.
RESULTS
They were classified as perimenopausal women (n=31), young postmenopausal women (n=60) or old postmenopausal women (n=24). Bone mineral content (BMC), BMD, leg lean body mass and gynoid fat were significant differences among three groups. In multiple linear regression, age was a predictor of total, trunk and leg BMC (p<0.01), total, L2-4 and proximal femur BMD (p<0.01), total, arm and trunk fat percentage of total body mass and trunk regional fat percentage of regional tissue (p<0.05), whereas years since of age was not a predictor of any of the body composition variables.
CONCLUSION
The findings of this study suggest that BMC, BMD and body fat distribution with a shift toward a more central location in postmenopausal women. This change appears to be more related to age than to menopause.

Keyword

Body composition; Fat; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA); Age; Menopause

MeSH Terms

Absorptiometry, Photon
Adipose Tissue
Arm
Body Composition*
Body Fat Distribution
Bone Density
Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Female
Femur
Humans
Korea
Leg
Linear Models
Menopause*