Lipid profile and menopausal status

Abstract EN

Background : dyslipidemia is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, which in turn, is the most common cause of female morbidity and mortality.

Postmenopausal women (natural and surgical) are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, especially coronary artery atherosclerosis.

Objective : to observe the relationship between blood lipids : total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoproteincholesterol HDL-C), low density lipoproteincholesterol) (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), LDL- C/ HDL-C ratio (atherogenic index) and menopausal status, and to determine the co-factors that may explain this relations.

Methods : A prospective, cross-sectional study, which includes 279 women, age range from 35-55 years agreed to participate in this study.

They were divided into 4 groups according to their menopausal status.

These were pre-, peri post- natural and surgical postmenopausal.

Data were collected from participants in a pre-coded questionnaire and an overnight fasting blood sample was collected for biochemical analysis.

Results : postmenopausal women had higher levels of lipids than pre or peri-menopausal.

TC concentration and LDL-cholesterol levels were higher in natural and surgical menopause than in pre and pri-menopausal women (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively).

While LDL / HDL-C ratio (atherogenic index) were higher in the surgical postmenopausal women than in premenopausal group (p < 0.05).

No significant inter-group differences were found in HDL-C.

Triglycerides, and VLDL levels were higher in surgical menopause group than in both pre- and peri-menopause groups (p < 0.05).

No significant differences were demonstrated in pre-peri-, and natural menopausal women with regard to triglyceride and VLDL levels and LDL / HDL-C ratio.

Conclusion : dyslipidemia is more frequent among women with natural and surgical menopause groups than in the other groups.

This makes those women more susceptible to CVD.

Certain co factors appear to have direct associations with lipid levels in each group and those were discussed.