Effects of aging, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy on forearm skin elasticity in women.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the decline per year in skin elasticity in postmenopausal women and how much hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increased elasticity over 12 months.


METHODS
Observational study of convenience sample.


METHODS
The Cardiovascular Hospital of Central Japan, a cardiovascular medical center.


METHODS
One hundred seventy-six postmenopausal subjects, mean age+/-standard deviation=61.3+/-9.1.


METHODS
In Study 1, skin elasticity was measured in the right forearm using a suction device. Comparisons also were made with 45 premenopausal subjects (aged 34.5+/-9.9). Skin elasticity in the right forearm was measured using the same device at baseline and 12 months after initiation of HRT.


METHODS
In Study 2, 12 postmenopausal subjects (mean age=57.1+/-7.4, range 49-71) received conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/d) in combination with medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/d) for 12 months.


RESULTS
In Study 1, significant negative correlations between skin elasticity and age and years since menopause were found (r=-0.60, P<.001 for each), as well as a 0.55% decline per year in skin elasticity. In Study 2, 12 months of HRT significantly increased skin elasticity in postmenopausal subjects, by 5.2%.


CONCLUSIONS
After menopause, skin elasticity declined 0.55% per year; 12 months of HRT increased elasticity by 5.2%.
Sumino
Hiroyuki
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan. suminoh@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
Ichikawa
Shuichi
S
Abe
Masatoshi
M
Endo
Yukie
Y
Ishikawa
Osamu
O
Kurabayashi
Masahiko
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects