Hormone Therapy Helps Prevent Belly Fat in Midlife Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Menopause News Can Hormone Therapy for Menopause Prevent Weight Gain Menopausal women who are on the treatment are less likely to gain dangerous belly fat — but there’s a catch, a new study shows. By Jessica MigalaMarch 27, 2018Everyday Health ArchiveFact-CheckedDeclining estrogen levels cause belly fat to accumulate in midlife.Getty ImagesMenopause brings with it what’s known as the “menopot,” or middle-aged spread. Hormonal shifts, including a decline in estrogen, cause belly fat to pack on; women also experience muscle loss. RELATED: The Best and Worst Diet Plans for Weight Loss But weight gain may not have to be your fate: Menopausal hormonal therapy may help prevent this increase in visceral (belly) fat, BMI, and body fat in general, according to new research published online today in the March 2018 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Findings Suggest Well-Timed Hormone Therapy Helps Prevent Belly Fat The study analyzed data from a sampling of 1,053 women in the OsteoLaus cohort (which takes its sampling from Lausanne, Switzerland) ages 50 to 80 years old who had their body compositions analyzed through DXA bone density screening. After adjusting for age, those who were currently undergoing hormonal therapy had significantly less visceral fat than women who were never on hormonal therapy. Compared with women who had taken it in the past, current users were found to be nearly one point lower on the BMI scale and have nearly 3 pounds (lb) less of fat mass. Even better: Over the course of 10 years, hormonal therapy prevented this weight gain, which often naturally occurs with age. RELATED: BMI May Not Detect Obesity in All Postmenopausal Women, a Study Says Hormone Therapy May Help Fight Insulin Resistance Metabolic Syndrome and Other Risks The finding of this study adds to growing knowledge of how hormonal therapy may avert certain health risks. “Preclinical data has shown that either surgical menopause or declines in estrogen accelerates fat accumulation, primarily visceral, or abdominal, fat. This increase in abdominal fat has been shown to be associated with insulin resistance and higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, both of which increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” says JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, executive director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). (She was not involved in the research.) Previously, in the Women’s Health Initiative, “hormone therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of abdominal fat and new onset diabetes with fewer heart events for women who started hormone therapy between 50 to 59 years of age,” she continues. Hormonal therapy is used to treat vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, plus vaginal dryness, problems with sexual function, and urinary symptoms, as well as preventing bone loss and fractures, the NAMS spokesperson points out. RELATED: How Much Exercise Is Enough? Exercise and Diet Are Still Important for Midlife Health But before you run to your doctor to ask for hormonal therapy, the authors note that the effect on weight loss is pretty small, so it’s not a replacement for other lifestyle changes, like exercise. In fact, to reap the benefits of a lower BMI, women had to be currently on hormone therapy. After stopping, the women instead rebounded by gaining fat, the study found. Beware Rebound Weight Gain That Can Occur When Hormone Therapy Stops There is something of a catch. The benefit may last only as long as the therapy. Ultimately, if you’re stopping hormone therapy, also talk to your doctor about the risk of increasing belly fat, as well as what you can do in terms of diet and exercise to prevent this weight rebound, says Pinkerton. RELATED: Eat Less, Feel Full: Does the Volumetrics Diet Plan Work for Weight Loss? Weight Loss Helps Reduce Frequency of Hot Flashes Night Sweats That doesn’t have to be downer news, however. Past research has shown that women who lost at least 10 lb through a healthier diet (lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grains) over the course of a year were significantly more likely to see hot flashes and night sweats disappear compared with those who didn’t lose weight. That small weight loss can also decrease your heart disease risk, Dr. Pinkerton notes. To determine if this hormone therapy is right for you, Pinkerton notes that the treatment is safe for women who start it at menopause, especially for women under 60 or who are within 10 years of menopause. (Starting after age 60 or 70 is not recommended, as these women have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and dementia.) RELATED: 14 Diet and Weight-Loss Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them What’s more, if women are over 65 and already using hormone therapy for symptoms, Pinkerton says there’s no evidence to suggest they stop. Certainly, any of these situations warrant a conversation with your doctor to assess the benefits and risks for you. RELATED: 10 Things Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Hysterectomy NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Women' s Health Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Menopause Foot Massage Can Help Ease Sleep Trouble Other Menopausal Symptoms A foot rub may improve sleep and reduce anxiety and fatigue in menopausal women, a new study shows.By Beth LevineSeptember 21, 2022 A History of Stressors and Childhood Trauma May Predict Worse Menopausal Symptoms and Well-BeingProject Viva’s 20-year study is the first to look at the long-term effects of abuse.By Beth LevineSeptember 16, 2022 Everything You Need to Know About Menopausal Hot FlashesIncluding what's heating you up to how to cool down.By Blake MillerAugust 18, 2022 Are Hot Flashes Worse for Black Women Than White Women For Black women, menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats can be more frequent — and intense — than those in white women.By Sheryl Nance-NashAugust 18, 2022 What Are Menopause Cold Flashes Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause — but their counterparts, cold flashes, can also occur. Learn why they happen and how you...By Elizabeth YunAugust 18, 2022 Are Night Sweats Waking You Up Night sweats are one of the most common symptoms of menopause — and they can seriously mess up your sleep. Use these tips to stay cool.By Karen AspAugust 18, 2022 How Can Menopause Change Your Gut Microbiome A study of Hispanic women found changes in the mix of gut bacteria after menopause associated with risk factors for heart disease and metabolic disorders...By Lisa RapaportJuly 20, 2022 Study Finds Jaw Pain May Worsen During MenopauseResearch has found a strong link between estrogen and the experience of pain.By Becky UphamMay 24, 2022 Obesity Increases Heart Failure Risk Associated With Late MenopauseWomen with obesity who go through menopause at 55 or older are more likely to develop heart failure later in life, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportApril 21, 2022 The Keto Diet and Menopause What You Need to KnowWomen over 40 often seek new ways to lose weight in response to age-related physical changes. Is the ketogenic diet the right diet for midlife?By Meryl Davids LandauApril 11, 2022 MORE IN 5 Health Risks Women Face After Menopause Treating Menopausal and Perimenopausal Symptoms Menopausal Symptoms May Help Predict Future Risk of Heart Disease Memory Problems NAMS 2021 News