Health and hormones
In order for us to enjoy a good sense of wellbeing our hormones need to be in balance. We can suffer sleep problems, mental health issues and growth disorders if our glands aren’t working properly. As we age our hormone levels also change naturally, and women experience drops in oestrogen and progesterone. A women generally experiences the biggest drop in these hormones at menopause. Researchers from Sweden’s Skane University Hospital became interested how these changes can affect our bone health and recently published the results of a 48-year long study. Oestrogen appears to have a protective effect on bone, preventing too many cells being lost. Scientists from the University decided to look at the effect of early menopause on bone density levels, to see if this put us at greater risk of developing osteoporosis.
Early menopause dangers
The researchers compared bone mineral density (BMD) levels of women from their 40s and into their 80s. They noted which of the women had early menopause (before age 47) and late menopause and compared their fracture and mortality rates. The results showed that women who had early menopause who nearly twice as likely to get osteoporosis as those who did not. Mortality rates were also higher at 52.4 per cent for the early menopause group, compared with 35.2 per cent for the second group. The study has highlighted how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could protect our bones by boosting hormone levels that could dip because of early menopause. Clinicians point out that HRT combined with a healthy lifestyle featuring varied nutrients and an active lifestyle could further protect bone wellness, meaning we can potentially live longer and more healthily.