The role of cardiorespiratory fitness on quality of life in midlife women

Life's Essential 8 Cardiovascular Health Score and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in the Community

BACKGROUND

The relation of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) to lifestyle behaviors and factors linked with cardiovascular health remains unclear. We aimed to understand how the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score (and its changes over time) relate to CRF and complementary exercise measures in community-dwelling adults.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants underwent maximum effort cardiopulmonary exercise testing for direct quantification of peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2). A 100-point LE8 score was constructed as the average across 8 factors: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. We related total LE8 score, score components, and change in LE8 score over 8 years with peak V̇O2 (log-transformed) and complementary CRF measures. In age- and sex-adjusted linear models (N=1838, age 54±9 years, 54% women, LE8 score 76±12), a higher LE8 score was associated favorably with peak V̇O2, ventilatory efficiency, resting heart rate, and blood pressure response to exercise (all P<0.0001). A clinically meaningful 5-point higher LE8 score was associated with a 6.0% greater peak V̇O2 (≈1.4 mL/kg per minute at sample mean). All LE8 components were significantly associated with peak V̇O2 in models adjusted for age and sex, but blood lipids, diet, and sleep health were no longer statistically significant after adjustment for all LE8 components. Over an ≈8-year interval, a 5-unit increase in LE8 score was associated with a 3.7% higher peak V̇O2 (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher LE8 score and improvement in LE8 over time was associated with greater CRF, highlighting the importance of the LE8 factors in maintaining CRF.

Perceptions, Benefits, and Use of Complementary and Integrative Therapies to Treat Menopausal Symptoms: A Pilot Study

Background

Menopause symptoms can be debilitating, and the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has declined significantly since the Women's Health Initiative.

Materials and Methods

We surveyed 508 peri- and postmenopausal females to determine (1) the use of complementary and integrative therapies (CIT), MHT; and pharmacotherapies; (2) the perceptions, perceived benefits/risks of CIT, MHT; and pharmacotherapy use; and (3) factors associated with CIT and MHT use for menopause symptom treatment.

Results

The majority of respondents used CIT to treat menopause symptoms based on physician recommendation and research studies. Treatments that were perceived as most beneficial included exercise, mind-body therapies, diet, and spiritual practices, with exercise and mind-body therapies chosen to treat the most common symptoms of sleep disturbances, depressive mood, and anxiety. Higher education level was the main predictive variable for choosing exercise (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, p = 0.02) and mind-body therapies (OR = 1.57, p = 0.02) to treat menopausal symptoms. Perceptions, beliefs, and use of different CIT by primarily white, affluent, and educated peri- and postmenopausal females to treat menopause symptoms, including sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety, are driven by conversations with physicians and evidence-based research.

Conclusion

These findings reinforce the necessity for both additional research in more diverse populations, as well as comprehensive, individualized personalized care from an interdisciplinary team that considers the best options available for all female patients.

Nutritional Risk Factors Associated with Vasomotor Symptoms in Women Aged 40-65 Years

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are the most common symptoms among menopausal women; these include hot flashes and night sweats, and palpitations often occur along with hot flashes. Some studies in Mexico reported that around 50% of women presented with VMS mainly in the menopausal transition. It has been proven that VMS are not only triggered by an estrogen deficiency, but also by nutritional risk factors. Evidence of an association between nutritional risk factors and VMS is limited in Mexican women. The aim of this study is to identify nutritional risk factors associated with VMS in women aged 40−65 years. This is a comparative cross-sectional study, undertaken in a retrospective way. A sample group (n = 406 women) was divided into four stages according to STRAW+10 (Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop): late reproductive, menopausal transition, early postmenopause, and late postmenopause. Hot flashes were present mainly in the early postmenopause stage (38.1%, p ≤ 0.001). Two or more VMS were reported in 23.2% of women in the menopausal transition stage and 29.3% in the early postmenopause stage (p < 0.001). The presence of VMS was associated with different nutritional risk factors (weight, fasting glucose levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, and tobacco use) in women living in the northeast of Mexico.

The Influence of Menopause and Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Lipoprotein Particles in Midlife Women

Lipoprotein particles may provide better information about cardiovascular risk than standard cholesterol measures for women. Whether lipoprotein subclasses change with menopausal stage is unclear. Given the high prevalence of low cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife women and benefit to cardiovascular risk, it is also important to understand the effect of fitness on lipoprotein profiles.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the influence of menopausal status and fitness on lipoprotein particles in healthy midlife women.

METHODS

Lipoprotein particles were measured in high-(HIGH,n=25) and low-fit(LOW,n=13) perimenopausal and late postmenopausal women, and in HIGH premenopausal(n=10), perimenopausal(n=12), and late postmenopausal women(n=13).

RESULTS

There were larger low-density lipoprotein particles(LDL-P, 21.7±0.06vs.21.3±0.1nm, p=0.002), more large LDL-P(623.1±32.8vs.500.2±52.6nmol/L, p=0.045), and fewer small LDL-P(145.5±31.4vs. 311.5±44.7nmol/L, p=0.001) in HIGH vs. LOW. High-density lipoprotein particles(HDL-P) were larger(10.1±0.1vs.9.7±0.1nm, p=0.002) in HIGH, with more large(14.8±0.7vs.11.0±0.9μmol/L, p=0.002), medium(12.9±0.8vs. 8.4±0.9μmol/L, p=0.002), and fewer small HDL-P(10.2±1.1vs.15.4±1.6μmol/L, p=0.009) compared to LOW. HIGH postmenopausal women had more large LDL-P(662.9±47.5nmol/L) compared to premenopausal women(479.1±52.6nmol/L, p=0.035), and more HDL-P(40.2±1.1μmol/L) compared to premenopausal(34.9±1.5μmol/L, p=0.023) and perimenopausal women(35.4±1.3μmol/L, p=0.033).

CONCLUSION

High fitness positively influences lipoprotein particles in healthy perimenopausal and late postmenopausal women. In healthy fit women, menopause may not have a large influence on lipoprotein particles. Novelty Bullets: • In highly-fit women, menopause may not have a negative influence on lipoprotein particle subclasses. • High fitness is associated with a less atherogenic lipoprotein profile in perimenopausal and late postmenopausal women.