Women really DO get a 'spare tyre' of fat after the menopause - putting them at higher risk of heart disease

• Women's physiques change shape following the menopause
• Before menopause, women store excess body fat around their legs and sides later on, round the middle
• But storing body fat round the abdomen is more risky for health, raising the chance of cardiovascular disease and cancer

By Emma Innes

Released: 18:14 GMT, 28 March 2013

Following the menopause women's shapes switch to be a lot more like individuals of males

Women really may create a 'spare tyre' around their waist following the menopause, say scientists.

Changes felt by women of the age cause body fat to become distributed in a different way – meaning additional weight is more prone to choose the waist, as opposed to the sides.

That’s why some older women lose their hour-glass figures and be more apple-formed, like males, the scientists from Concordia College within the U.S.

This transformation in physique might have stark health implications because body fat saved round the stomach is a lot more harmful that than situated around the upper thighs and sides.

‘The body fat saved on the sides and upper thighs, is comparatively harmless,’ described study author Dr Sylvia Santosa.

‘But the body fat saved round the abdomen is much more harmful.

‘It continues to be connected with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke as well as some cancer.

‘When publish-menopause women placed on more abdominal body fat, they significantly improve their risk of these health issues.

'Given these dangers, it is crucial to know the the way the 'abnormal' amounts of excess estrogen connected with menopause changes where body fat is saved.’

The alterations are thought to become due to the hyperlink between your female hormone excess estrogen, and the body body fat storage.

The scientists also examined the body fat storage process and located that particular proteins and enzymes tend to be more active in publish-menopause women.

These proteins correspond with body fat storage. More...

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The 23 ladies who took part in the research were within the same age groups, coupled with similar BMIs and the body body fat composition.

These commonalities permitted Dr Santosa to isolate the results of excess estrogen on body fat absorption and storage.

She and her co-workers could check out the activity of certain enzymes and proteins that regulate body fat storage in publish-menopause women's abdomens and upper thighs.

By thinking about these 4 elements together instead of isolation, the scientists determined effectively these cells now store more body fat compared to what they did before menopause.

Body fat saved round the stomach is a lot more harmful that than situated around the upper thighs and sides

Additionally, publish-menopause women burned less body fat than their pre-menopause co-workers.

These changes imply that their cells are not only seen storing more body fat, but they are also less prepared to spend it - a mixture is really a recipe for rapid putting on weight.

‘Taken together, these alterations in bodily processes might be greater than a little surprising – and upsetting – for ladies who formerly had little trouble controlling how much they weigh,’ stated Dr Santosa.

The findings come to another study through the College of Ohio which demonstrated that whenever the change of life, the game of the particular enzyme involved with body fat production increases.

Referred to as Aldh1a1, it makes us store a harmful kind of body fat round the organs, referred to as visceral body fat.

This really is strongly associated with diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease and cancer and it is created by an enzyme triggered more in women when both sexes consume a high body fat diet.

Scientists discovered that the feminine hormone excess estrogen inhibits the results from the enzyme. However that when levels fall following the menopause, it's liberated to work its miracle - therefore, the putting on weight.