Hormone Therapy May Reduce Belly Fat in Older Women

Belly fat is one of the many side effects of menopause, and symptoms can last for years. To combat these symptoms, which might also include night sweats, insomnia, and hot flashes, doctors may offer menopausal hormone therapy.

A new study of 1,000 post-menopausal women between the ages of 50 and 80 found some benefits to this therapy. In particular, they had significantly lower levels of stomach fat than women who never received this therapy.

Unfortunately, the benefits aren’t expected to last. Once hormone replacement ended the women regained their abdominal fat quite rapidly. For this reason, it is important for doctors to have a discussion with patients about the associated health risks versus benefits.

These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism on March 27, 2018.