| Keywords |
Genistein; BMD; Estradiol; Elderly women; Super-elderly women |
| Abstract |
The isoflavone genistein exhibits estrogenic activity and has been proposed as a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. With South Korea recently becoming a super-aged society, interest in interventions for super-elderly women has grown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of genistein supplementation on bone metabolism in elderly and super-elderly women. A total of 33 women (mean age: 80.5 ± 6.8 years) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: the super-elderly genistein group (SE-GEN, n = 7), the elderly genistein group (E-GEN, n = 9), the super-elderly placebo group (SE-PL, n = 6), and the elderly placebo group (E-PL, n = 11). The genistein groups received a daily capsule containing 50 mg of genistein, provided by T Pharmaceutical, for 12 weeks in a double-blind manner. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; QDR-1000, Hologic, USA), and fasting serum levels of estradiol (E2), growth hormone (GH), carbohydrate metabolism markers, and lipid profiles were measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. No significant interaction effects were observed for most lumbar spine and femoral BMD values. However, a significant interaction effect was found in the femur intertrochanteric BMD (p < 0.05), with post hoc analysis revealing an approximately 5.3% increase in the SE-GEN group compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Genistein intake did not result in significant changes in serum E2, GH, carbohydrate metabolism markers, lipid profiles, or body composition in any group.These findings suggest that while genistein supplementation does not improve carbohydrate or lipid metabolism, it may have the potential to enhance intertrochanteric femoral BMD in super-elderly women aged 80 years and above. |