It happens to every woman and there’s no way of stopping it! Menopause causes women to gain weight, break out in a sweat and most importantly, it contributes to bone loss. Now, a new drug may be a game-changer for older women who are going through menopause.
The three biggies when it comes to menopause: brittle bones, weight gain and hot flashes!
“With the brittle bones, that is a significant concern, and also, the weight gain as well,” said Melanie Coathup, a biomedical engineer at the University of Central Florida.
Coathup’s research is targeting the first two.
“There’s some kind of connection, I think, between bone and fat that’s gradually becoming more and more interesting,” she added.
One in 10 women over the age of 60 is affected by osteoporosis and research shows that up to 20% of bone loss happens during menopause.
Osteoporosis is related to over-activity of bone-absorbing cells in the body. Coathup’s team found that a drug now being called P7C3 stopped these cells from being overactive, reduced inflammation, and drove stem cells to form bone tissue.
Not only that but as an extra benefit.
“What was remarkable with our animals was that they were not putting on this fat weight gain, they were remaining quite slim,” Coathup said.
The findings could not only help menopausal women, but an entire aging population. Coathup is now going to study whether P7C3 can treat or even reverse people already diagnosed with osteoporosis.