In a new study, researchers found that vitamin D and estrogen can work together to prevent metabolic syndrome in older women.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
The research was conducted by a team from China.
Vitamin D and estrogen have already shown well-documented results in improving bone health in women.
The current study shows a health benefit of the combo.
Previous research has shown that metabolic syndrome is a major public health concern, affecting 30% to 60% of postmenopausal women worldwide.
The progression of belly fat and heart disease that lead to metabolic syndrome increases strongly as women age and linked to estrogen loss in postmenopausal women.
Some researchers recommend estradiol treatment for women who are fewer than 6 years postmenopausal as a way of preventing heart disease.
Similarly, vitamin D has been linked to several markers of metabolic syndrome, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Supplementation with vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
In the new study, the team aimed to see if the combination of vitamin D and estrogen can help reduce metabolic syndrome better.
They tested 616 postmenopausal women aged 49 to 86 years who were not taking estrogen and vitamin D/calcium supplements at the beginning of the study.
They found that higher vitamin D was linked to healthier blood pressure and blood sugar level. In addition, estradiol was linked to low cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.
These results show that vitamin D and estradiol deficiency may play a role in developing metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.
The study is published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
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