Metabolic Syndrome Emerging from Menopause

Beneficial Effects of Breastfeeding on the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome Among Postmenopausal Women

PURPOSE

This study aims to determine whether breastfeeding may have any beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome in a cohort of postmenopausal Korean women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with secondary data analysis was conducted using the cohort in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Data from 1,983 postmenopausal women were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Controlled covariates were chosen based on a biopsychosocial model and included age, family history of hypertension; type 2 diabetes mellitus; and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, body mass index, age of menarche, parity, socioeconomic status of family, educational level, past or current smoking experience, and current alcohol consumption experience.

RESULTS

Breastfeeding experience and duration were not significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women. However, breastfeeding experience (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.52 [p = .010]) and a total duration of breastfeeding exceeding 3 months were significantly associated with decreased likelihood of abdominal obesity (≥3 and < 6 months: AOR: 0.49 [p = .014]; ≥6 and < 12 months: AOR: 0.51 [p = .009]; ≥12 months: AOR: 0.56 [p = .024]).

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that breastfeeding might have beneficial effects on reducing abdominal obesity in postmenopausal women. Health-care providers should publicize beneficial long-term effects of breastfeeding on the prevention of abdominal obesity, a component of metabolic syndrome.

Difference in health status of Korean farmers according to gender

Background

The objective of this study was to compare differences in lifestyle diseases, musculoskeletal pain, psychosocial stress, and self-health awareness according to gender in Korean farmers.

Methods

The study population comprised 436 farmers residing in rural areas in Korea. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and musculoskeletal pain. The psychosocial well-being index short form (PWI-SF) was used to survey psychosocial stress, and the 12-item short form health survey (SF-12) was used to survey self-health awareness. In addition, a clinical examination was performed for each participant, and lifestyle diseases were identified through a health checkup.

Results

Among lifestyle diseases, females showed a significantly higher proportion than males for metabolic syndrome (OR: 4.57 [95% CI, 1.67-12.51]). For musculoskeletal pain, females again showed significantly higher proportion than males for hand pain (OR: 16.79 [95% CI, 3.09-91.30]), and pain in at least one body part (OR: 2.34 [95% CI, 1.16-4.70]). For psychosocial stress, females showed a significantly higher proportion than males for high-risk stress (OR: 3.10 [95% CI, 1.17-8.24]). Among the items in self-health awareness, females showed significantly higher proportion than males for mental component score (MCS) (OR: 3.10 [95% CI, 1.52-6.31]) and total score (OR: 2.34 [95% CI, 1.11-4.90]).

Conclusions

For all items that showed significant differences, females showed higher proportion than males, which indicates that female farmers tended to have poorer overall health than male farmers. Therefore, specialized programs will have to be developed to improve the health of female farmers.

Impact of Menopausal Status, Metabolic Syndrome and its Risk Factors on Impaired Quality of Life above Middle-aged Women

PURPOSE

This study explored influencing factors on quality of life (QoL) above middle-aged women in relation to demographic factors, health-related factors, menopausal status, metabolic syndrome (MS) and its risk factors.

METHODS

This study was secondary data analysis from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013~2015 that utilized a complex, multi-stage probability sample design. Study sample of 2,310 was inclusive of (28.8%) of women who were over 40. To evaluate the factors that would influence an impaired quality of life, χ² test, GLM, and logistic regression analysis were done.

RESULTS

Level of quality of life was lower in women with late post-menopause(over 10 years since menopause) than women with pre-menopause. Factors influencing impaired QoL were as follows: graduated middle school and elementary school or less (OR=2.43, 4.42, respectively, p<.05), no job (OR=1.92, p<.001), stress (OR=1.92, p=.001), depression (OR=1.93, p=.001), insufficient sleep (OR=1.64, p=.003), late post-menopause (OR=2.61, p=.044) and over 85cm of waist circumference (OR=1.76, p=.01).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that late post-menopause may be an independent factor influencing an impaired QoL. To promote post-menopausal womens' health, a nursing strategy is required to teach women how to manage levels of stress, depression, insufficient sleep, and abdominal obesity through health education, nutritional counselling, and physical activity program.

The Association between Serum Uric Acid Level and Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome according to Menopausal Status in Korean Women

Objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between serum uric acid level and metabolic syndrome according to menopausal status in Korean women.

Methods

A total of 2,241 women who visited to the health promotion center at Pusan National University Hospital from 2010 to 2014 were included in this cross-sectional study. Self-report questionnaires and interviews with healthcare providers were used to assess disease history, medication history, menstrual history and body size measuring. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory results were compared as presence of metabolic syndrome and menopausal status by student-t test. Logistic regression analysis was performed between presence of metabolic syndrome and presumable predictive factors, such as age, menopause and serum uric acid.

Results

The prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome were 7.45% (63/846) in pre-menopausal group and 23.87% (333/1395) in menopausal group. Serum uric acid level was higher in menopausal women than premenopausal women (4.6 ± 1.1 vs. 4.3 ± 0.9. P = 0.000). And, its concentration was also higher in metabolic syndrome than normal women regarding of menopausal statue (premenopause 4.7 ± 1.1 vs. 4.2 ± 0.8, P = 0.001, menopause 4.9 ± 1.3 vs. 4.5 ± 1.0, P = 0.000). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed serum uric acid and age have relationship with metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.453, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.074-1.111, P = 0.000; OR: 1.092, 95% CI: 1.305-1.619, P = 0.000).

Conclusion

We could find out some potential of uric acid as predictive factor for metabolic syndrome in premenopausal and menopausal group. Further investigation is required to clarify the relationship between serum uric acid, menopause and metabolic syndrome.

Clinical and Biochemical Profiles according to Homeostasis Model Assessment-insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in Korean Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and biochemical profiles according to homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in Korean polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients.

Methods

In 458 PCOS patients diagnosed by the Rotterdam European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) criteria, measurements of somatometry, blood test of hormones, glucose metabolic and lipid profiles, and transvaginal or transrectal ultrasonogram were carried out. HOMA-IR was then calculated and compared with the clinical and biochemical profiles related to PCOS. The patients were divided into 4 groups by quartiles of HOMA-IR.

Results

The mean level of HOMA-IR was 2.18 ± 1.73. Among the four groups separated according to HOMA-IR, body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, lipid accumulation product (LAP) index, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Apoprotein B, free testosterone, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were found to be significantly different. TG, LAP index, glucose metabolic profiles, and hs-CRP were positively correlated with HOMA-IR after adjustment for BMI.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the clinical and biochemical profiles which are applicable as cardiovascular risk factors are highly correlated with HOMA-IR in Korean women with PCOS.