A new study published in the JAMA Network Open recently revealed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help women experiencing menopause slow down biological aging. To be clear, it doesn’t directly mean they will look younger, but instead, it can affect how their body functions.

But why do postmenopausal women age faster biologically than premenopausal women? The study’s co-author, Yufan Liu, explains that women in this stage experience a decline in the female hormone called estrogen, which is one of many reasons for faster biological aging.

However, this study suggests that hormone replacement therapy can influence these impacts by slowing biological aging in women, which may improve longevity, prevent age-related diseases, and help them feel happier and more functional in day-to-day life.

What Is The Difference Between Biological Age And Chronological Age?

Before exploring the findings of this study, it’s important to first understand the difference between biological age and actual age.

In simple terms, chronological age is how long you have been on Earth from your birthday to the present. On the other hand, biological age is how old your cells are, which means you can be 20 years old but biologically 23.

So, what causes your biological age to be different from your actual age? There are several reasons for this, but some of the most impactful include genetics, diet, stress levels, lifestyle choices, habits, and more. But for the sake of this article, we are focused on the hormonal side of women past menopause.

Menopause and Biological Age Study Results

The research team concluded that HRT can improve aging by studying over 100,000 women in their late 50s and early 60s. The participants were split into two groups; the first consisted of 47,000 women who had already used HRT, while the other 70,000 comprised women who hadn’t tried the treatment.

For the postmenopausal women on HRT, the difference between their chronological age and biological age was only 0.17 years smaller than those who didn’t use the treatment. However, for women who used hormone replacement therapy for four to eight years, the difference in their biological age vs. their actual age was 0.25 years compared to the group that never received HRT.

More findings from the study published in the JAMA Network Open suggest that women who started HRT at age 50 experienced the biggest benefit. They saw an age difference of 0.32 years compared to the 70,000 women who didn’t use HRT.

What Is The Significance Of This Study?

This research on HRT is quite similar to other studies exploring new ways to better tackle age-related issues like Alzheimer’s. In women’s case, menopause is an age-related problem that can seriously reduce their quality of life.

When women reach ages 45 to 55, their bodies begin to slowly produce less estrogen and progesterone. This reduced production is what leads to menopause, but lack of eggs isn’t the only problem.

Menopause often comes with issues that reduce one’s quality of life, including: 

• Mood swings
• Joint pains
• Vaginal dryness
• Insomnia
• Amnesia
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats

This research into the postmenopausal effects of HRT suggests new ways health experts can help women find relief from menopause symptoms. However, there needs to be more rigorous tests done since this research had some flaws.

Problems and Limitations of the HRT Postmenopausal Study

While the conclusion from this research looks promising, some issues make these results unreliable.

Other Factors May Be Responsible For Improvements

Some experts have examined the research and pointed out that the assessment of over 100,000 women wasn’t a properly controlled experiment. They mentioned that hormone replacement therapy affects dietary habits, metabolism, energy levels, personal preference, and many other factors. 

So, since HRT affects one’s lifestyle and what they eat, the experts argue that these factors may be responsible for the changes, which the study does not take into account. If they are correct, then HRT doesn’t directly improve biological aging — instead, the impacts come from diet and lifestyle changes.

The Reports Were Anecdotal

Another problem these experts pointed out was that the experiment relied on the personal reports of women who used HRT instead of collecting data more professionally. Such anecdotal reports are inaccurate, as there’s no way to know for sure when they started treatment or how long it took for the HRT to work.

The research also doesn’t include the type of HRT the women used or the dosage taken. Therefore, the data-collecting process was “sloppy,” which makes the results more unreliable.

They Failed To Consider Socioeconomic Status

Another problem with the study is that it failed to consider the financial capabilities of both groups. These experts pointed out that women who use hormone therapy have access to better health care, lead a healthier lifestyle, and are of higher socioeconomic status.

These factors, such as financial stability, better health care, and a healthier lifestyle, contribute to healthier cells, which reflect a biologically younger body than those without such privileges. 

Conclusion – More Research Is Needed

While the results are interesting, the way the study was handled suggests more research is needed before anyone can make more definite conclusions. So far, however, the findings from this HRT examination on postmenopausal women suggest it may have the potential to help manage menopause symptoms and improve these women’s lives.

To learn more about hormone replacement therapy, schedule an appointment with a doctor at VeriNew for more information on how it can help you feel like your younger, more vital self today.