Study Suggests Estrogen Deficiency Can Lead To Obesity-InducedAugust 09, 2007Austin, TX - At menopause, women lose hormone protection against heart (cardiovascular) and kidney (renal) diseases, and are likely to become obese. A research team has tested the idea that estrogen deficiency in aged females may trigger the development of high blood pressure and obesity. The results of their study, using an animal model, suggest that estrogen depletion can have these effects. The study is entitled, "Role of Estrogens in Postmenopausal Obesity and Hypertension." It was conducted by Lourdes A. Fortepiani and Huimin Zhang, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), San Antonio, TX. The team will discuss its findings as part of the upcoming conference, Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology, being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake in Austin, TX. The event is the second scientific gathering to be sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS; www.The-APS.org) this year. To test their theory the researchers used 24 aged female rats. The ovaries were removed from two-thirds of the group (ovariectomized; ovx) while the ovaries of the other third of the group remained intact and served as controls. The researchers subdivided the ovx rats, giving half of the ovx group estrogen while the other half remained estrogen depleted. Among the ovx rats, those that did not receive estrogen had significantly higher blood pressure than the control rats (126.2 versus 110.6 mmHg). The rats receiving estrogen had the lowest blood pressure levels of all (102.6 mmHg). The researchers also noted that the rats which had their ovaries removed and did not receive estrogen compared to the intact rats * gained twice as much weight as the controls * increased their leptin level by 70 percent * increased their blood glucose level by 35 percent * increased RAS and renal SNS by 16 and 39 percent * experienced no change in kidney function All the hormonal and metabolic effects were completely abolished with estrogen replacement. In other words, the rats whose ovaries were removed and received estrogen replacement did not undergo any of the changes mentioned above. With increased life expectancy, women spend more than a third of their life in menopause. In addition, obesity is increasing dramatically in all populations and is a major cardiovascular risk factor in women after menopause. Despite the controversial data about estrogen therapy in clinical studies, the results of this study performed in aged rats suggest that the loss of estrogens after menopause may contribute to the development of obesity and hypertension, opening new therapeutic approaches to postmenopausal hypertension. American Physiological Society |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Estrogen Current Events and Estrogen News Articles Menopause-cardiology consensus statement on cardiovascular disease and on HRT A menopause-cardiology consensus statement has called for direct action to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in menopausal women. The statement also concludes that there is little evidence of increased CVD risk in taking HRT. Heart and bone damage from low vitamin D tied to declines in sex hormones Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone. Fertility procedures need not delay breast cancer treatment for younger women A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that breast cancer patients under 40 years old who undergo fertility preservation do not face a significant delay in the treatment of their disease when their care is coordinated in a timely fashion. Coffee break: Compound brewing new research in colon, breast cancer A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research scientists. Mayo researchers find robotic repair for vaginal prolapse has significant benefits New Mayo Clinic research has found that robotic surgery for vaginal prolapse dramatically reduces patient hospital stay and recovery time. Estrogen therapy likely must be given soon after menopause to provide stroke protection For estrogen replacement to provide stroke protection, it likely must be given soon after levels drop because of menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, scientists report in the Journal of Neuroscience. Oral contraceptives may benefit women with asthma New research shows that during natural menstrual cycles, women with asthma who were not taking oral contraceptives (OC) had lower exhaled nitric oxide levels (eNO), a marker of airway inflammation associated with asthma, than women who were taking OC. Study shows hormone replacement therapy decreases mortality in younger postmenopausal woman Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopausal estrogen deficiency has been in widespread use for over 60 years. Several observational studies over the years showed that HRT use by younger postmenopausal women was associated with a significant reduction in total mortality; available evidence supported the routine use of HRT to increase longevity in postmenopausal women. Hormone mix could cut breast cancer risk and treat symptoms of menopause The right combination of estrogen and a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which blocks the effects of estrogen in breast tissue, could relieve menopause symptoms and cut breast cancer risk. Breast tenderness during hormone replacement therapy linked to elevated cancer risk Women who developed new-onset breast tenderness after starting estrogen plus progestin hormone replacement therapy were at significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer than women on the combination therapy who didn't experience such tenderness, according to a new UCLA study. More Estrogen Current Events and Estrogen News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||