It’s a known fact that metabolic health impacts women’s health Perimenopausal experience. And now, new research suggests one possibility that this is true: A recently published study suggests that middle-aged women with higher fasting insulin levels may develop symptoms earlier and over a longer period of time. Vasomotor symptoms (VMS), etc. night sweats and Hot flashes.
of studypublished last month. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismincludes data from approximately 700 American women ages 42 to 52 collected through the National Survey of Women’s Health (SWAN). Participants were followed for over 10 years. Women who take medications to manage insulin or who have been on insulin therapy oophorectomy or hysterectomy were excluded from this study.
Researchers used metabolic measurements collected from a 47-year-old participant to test whether insulin levels influenced the timing and duration of VMS. Researchers found that both insulin levels and body mass index (BMI) at this age are related to how and when women experience hot flashes.
“Increased insulin at age 47 was associated with longer duration of hot flashes and cold sweats, and was also associated with increased testosterone levels during the menopausal transition.” Faria Attarsaid the study’s lead author in the paper. news release. “These findings help fill some of the gaps in our understanding. menopause Explain why symptoms and their severity vary from woman to woman. ”
This comes as midlife is emerging as a critical period. diabetes prevention and metabolic health interventions. According to Dr. Alyssa DweckBoard Certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Chief Medical Officer genuine healththis study’s results are not surprising and are consistent with the original SWAN study report on how metabolic health influences. perimenopause And menopause.
“Metabolic health in general is clearly associated with general health status, socio-economic status and ethnicity, and as noted in the SWAN study, all important variables are associated with menopausal experience, so the initial association is not surprising,” she told Flow Space. “Furthermore, it is well established from the SWAN study that people who are obese, or have an elevated BMI, are at increased risk of severe VMS.”
Although more research is needed, Dweck said the most exciting part of these findings is the possibility that women and their doctors can take active steps to reduce the impact of the symptoms. “The most interesting takeaway from this study is that elevated fasting insulin and BMI may play a role in early identification and prediction of people suffering from VMS and its downstream effects,” she added.
Insulin levels aren’t determined solely by consistent lifestyle habits; exercise and nutritious mealsthe findings of this study suggest that taking steps to lower insulin levels may alleviate the perimenopausal and menopausal experience. This idea is in line with suggestions from other experts that link health and wellness. lifestyle choices It is associated with less severe and disruptive perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.
“Study results further support aggressive recommendations regarding diet/nutrition and exercise, which are controllable variables that can influence the menopausal experience,” Dweck said. “Further research could lead to a simple blood test performed before menopause or even at the beginning of perimenopause. This could predict the severity and onset of VMS, and could help inform shared decision-making regarding future treatments and management tools.”
Dweck noted that identifying who would benefit most from pre-emptive lifestyle and medication interventions could alleviate women’s suffering and even prevent VMS.