As obesity continues to escalate globally, affecting approximately 13% of all adults, recent research reveals a potential link between obesity and worsened menopausal symptoms, along with reduced effectiveness of hormone therapy in alleviating these symptoms.

Lead author Dr. Anita Pershad, from the Eastern Virginia Medical School, presented findings at the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia, highlighting the preliminary results of a pilot study examining the correlation between obesity and menopausal symptom severity. However, Dr. Kara McElligott, a NAMS-certified menopause practitioner, urged caution regarding the study's limitations, emphasizing its retrospective nature and small sample size of 119 participants.

The study analyzed the health records of women attending a menopause clinic over a five-year period, categorizing them into two groups based on their body mass index (BMI): those with obesity (BMI > 30) and those without (BMI < 30). Despite similar demographic characteristics between the groups, women with obesity were more likely to report heightened symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms (such as hot flashes), genitourinary/vulvovaginal symptoms, mood disturbances, and decreased libido.

Dr. Ashley Parr, an OB/GYN at The Women’s Hospital at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, emphasized the potential hormonal complexities underlying menopausal experiences in women with obesity. Fat cells can produce estrogen even after ovarian function declines, altering the body's hormone balance and influencing symptom severity.

Moreover, the study revealed that women with obesity were less responsive to systemic and/or localized hormone therapy compared to their non-obese counterparts. Dr. Pershad noted ongoing investigations to determine whether this reduced efficacy of hormone therapy in women with obesity stems from inherent factors or can be addressed through alternative treatment strategies.

The study underscores the multifaceted relationship between obesity, menopausal symptoms, and hormone therapy efficacy, emphasizing the need for further research to elucidate underlying mechanisms and optimize therapeutic interventions for women navigating menopause, particularly those with obesity.