Androgenicity and venous endothelial function in post-menopausal women

Central adiposity and decreased heart rate variability in postmenopause: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of waist circumference (WC) on heart rate variability in 87 apparently healthy, postmenopausal women.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, time- and frequency-domain heart rate variability indices were determined at rest and during sympathetic stimulation with mental stress. Patients were stratified according to WC ≥ or < 88 cm. The mean (± standard deviation) age was 55 ± 5 years. The median time since menopause was 6 (range 1-22) years. Age and time since menopause were similar.

RESULTS

The mean body mass index was 27.12 ± 4.49 kg/m². Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 26 (29.5%) participants. Thirty-eight participants (43.6%) had hypertension. Women with WC ≥ 88 cm had higher body mass index, glucose and insulin (both fasting and after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test), HOMA, triglycerides, and free androgen index (p < 0.05). The metabolic syndrome was more frequent in women with WC ≥ 88 cm (24.13% vs. 5.74%; p < 0.01). At rest, women with WC ≥ 88 cm presented lower vagal modulation, expressed by a reduction in the mean of all normal RR intervals (mean RR) (p < 0.01) and root mean square of successive differences of adjacent RR intervals (rMSSD) (p < 0.05) than women with WC < 88 cm. Mental stress significantly increased sympathetic modulation in both groups, expressed by reduction in high frequency (HF), increase in low frequency (LF) and LF/F ratio, and reduction in mean RR and rMSSD.

CONCLUSIONS

Less favorable metabolic profile and lower cardiac vagal modulation with preserved sympathetic responsiveness were found in participants with WC ≥ 88 cm, suggesting that central adiposity may be associated with decreased heart rate variability in apparently healthy, postmenopausal women.

Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is related to androgenicity and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether lipid accumulation product (LAP) is related to androgen and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels and to cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women with no evidence of established cardiovascular disease.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

LAP (waist-58 × triglycerides [nmol/L]), LAP ≥ arbitrary cutoff point of 34.5, serum testosterone, SHBG, ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (us-CRP).

RESULTS

Forty-nine women (mean age 55±5 years; median amenorrhea time 5.5 years [3-8]) were studied: 14% had the metabolic syndrome and 24.5% were hypertensive. Compared with LAP<34.5, LAP ≥ 34.5 (n=29, 59%) was associated with higher testosterone (p=0.021) and free androgen index (FAI) (p=0.003) and lower SHBG levels (p=0.013). Us-CRP (p=0.012), total cholesterol (p=0.041), glucose (p=0.020) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) (p=0.019) were higher, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p=0.001) was lower with LAP ≥ 34.5. LAP was positively correlated with total testosterone (r=0.349, p=0.014), FAI (rs=0.470, p=0.001), us-CRP (r=0.315, p=0.042), systolic (r=0.318, p=0.028) and diastolic (r=0.327, p=0.023) blood pressure, total cholesterol (r=0.498, p<0.001) and glucose (rs=0.319, p=0.026). LAP was negatively correlated with SHBG (rs=-0.430, p=0.003) and HDL-C (r=-0.319, p=0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

LAP index seems to be associated with androgens and SHBG and with cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women. Also, LAP seems to be a suitable method to screen for cardiovascular risk in postmenopause.

Obesity is Related to Increased Menopausal Symptoms among Spanish Women

Objective.

To assess the metabolic syndrome (METS) and its components in postmenopausal women using updated diagnostic criteria and explore their relation to menopausal symptom severity.

Method.

Medical records of the first visit of 574 postmenopausal Caucasian Spanish women attending a menopause clinic were retrospectively reviewed. Recorded information included general demographic data, type of menopause, menopausal symptom intensity (Kupperman index) and baseline hormonal and metabolic parameters. METS was established if three or more of the following criteria were met: body mass index (BMI) >28.8 kg/m2, fasting glycaemia >100 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) <50 mg/dL, triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL and blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg.

Results

Mean ± SD age of the whole cohort was 49.9 ± 6.1 years, 66% had natural menopause and 38.9% were obese. In all, 23.1% met diagnostic criteria for METS who were significantly older and displayed higher rates of being married, obesity and abnormal glucose, triglyceride, HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and blood pressure values, when compared with those without the syndrome. The mean Kupperman index score for the whole sample was 26.4 ± 10.6, with 73.8% displaying moderate to severe scores (20 or more). Logistic regression analysis determined that obesity and marriage status were independent risk factors related to more severe menopausal symptoms (Kupperman index scores of 20 or more).

Conclusion.

Although METS was observed in a lower frequency than previous reports, obesity was associated with more severe menopausal symptoms among postmenopausal Spanish women.