The study is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and is a cooperative effort by the UA College of Medicine Department of Physiology, the UA Department of Nutritional Sciences, the UA College of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, the University Medical Center Health and Wellness Center, Metro Fitness, Naturally Women Fitness Centers and Mission Pharmacal of San Antonio, Texas. Investigators now are seeking 60 women for the next group of volunteers to take part in the BEST Study. The other group will continue their normal routine. Support groups and educational forums also will be offered. Both groups will be tested periodically to determine how strength training exercise causes changes in bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
Bone fractures are a major cause of long-term disability and death in postmenopausal women.
Women who suffer an osteoporotic-related fracture lose their independence and mobility and have a 12 to 20 percent greater death rate than other women the same age. By 2000, the average life expectancy in the United States is expected to be more than 80 years, which means a significant number of women will live 30 to 40 years after reaching menopause. Research shows that HRT may reduce the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and that weight-bearing exercise, such as aerobic dancing or weight training, also is a major factor in preventing and decreasing bone loss. It is unknown whether exercise is an effective alternative to HRT or an additional preventive measure, or whether combining HRT and exercise is more effective in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.