Study Reveals Association of Muscle Disorders in Late Postmenopausal Women Linked to Menopause Type

The study revealed that women with premature surgical menopause (PM) reported more musculoskeletal discomfort and sarcopenia than those with normal age of menopause (NAM). Physical activity and hormone therapy reduced sarcopenia risk.

Surgical menopause, often induced by bilateral oophorectomy, leads to an abrupt decline in estrogen levels, which plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass and strength. This hormonal imbalance can accelerate muscle loss and increase the risk of sarcopenia, a condition characterized by a progressive decline in muscle mass, strength, and function.

Juan E. Blümel, Universidad de Chile, Orquídeas, Santiago de Chile, Chile, and colleagues aimed to compare muscle disorders among women according to the type of experienced menopause: premature (PM) or normal age of menopause (NAM).

For this purpose, they conducted a cross-sectional study in nine Latin American countries in which late postmenopausal women (55 to 70 years) were surveyed with a general questionnaire, the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS: item #4 exploring musculoskeletal discomfort), and the strength, rising from a chair, assistance with walking, climbing stairs, and falling questionnaire (risk of sarcopenia).

644 women were included: 468 had NAM, and 176 had PM (116 spontaneous and 60 surgical). The overall mean age of the participants was 60.9 ± 4.2 years.

The study led to the following findings:

• Women who had PM experienced more musculoskeletal discomfort (33.5% vs 20.9%, P < 0.001) and a higher likelihood of sarcopenia (35.2% vs 19.9%, P < 0.001) than women who had a NAM.
• Women who had surgical PM exhibited a higher prevalence of severe musculoskeletal discomfort (46.7% vs 29.3%) and a higher likelihood of sarcopenia (45.0% vs 27.6%) than women who had a NAM.
• After adjusting for covariates (age, body mass index, physical activity, menopausal hormone therapy use, education, use of antidepressants, cigarette consumption, comorbidities, sexual activity, and having a partner), the logistic regression model determined that spontaneous PM was not associated with higher odds of musculoskeletal discomfort and higher odds of sarcopenia.
• Women who had surgical PM were more likely to experience musculoskeletal discomforts (odds ratio: 2.26) and higher odds for sarcopenia (odds ratio: 2.05) as compared to women who experienced a NAM.

In conclusion, the study showed a higher likelihood of muscle disorders in women experiencing surgical PM. The findings underscore the potential significance of hormonal levels in impacting musculoskeletal health during postmenopause.

Reference:

Vallejo, María S. MD1; Blümel, Juan E. MD, PhD2; Chedraui, Peter MD, PhD3,4; Tserotas, Konstantinos MD5; Salinas, Carlos MD6; Rodrigues, Marcio A. MD7; Rodríguez, Doris A. MD8; Rey, Claudia MD9; Ojeda, Eliana MD10; Ñañez, Mónica MD11; Monterrosa-Castro, Álvaro MD12; Gómez-Tabares, Gustavo MD13; Espinoza, María T. MD14; Escalante, Carlos MD15; Elizalde, Alejandra MD16; Dextre, Maribel MD17; Calle, Andrés MD18; Aedo, Sócrates MSc19. Association of muscle disorders in late postmenopausal women according to the type of experienced menopause. Menopause ():10.1097/GME.0000000000002367, April 30, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002367