Metabolic syndrome and menopause: A population-based study

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome has a key role in developing cardiovascular diseases. It has become a major problem in many countries, especially in women. This study was performed to evaluate the metabolic syndrome status and its changes through menopause.MethodsThe 25–64-year-old individuals in Population Lab of Tehran Medical University were studied through a single-stage cluster sampling. The study was designed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) project using the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria. The study population consisted of 607 men and 966 women. The parameters used for the risk analysis were waist circumference, fasting serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose.ResultsThe prevalence was high in women especially after menopause. In post-menopausal women, prevalence exceeded that in men by more than twice (60.0% vs. 19.0%, p < 0.0001). The mean levels of metabolic syndrome-related risk factors were significantly higher in post-menopausal women. Even irregular menses was associated with significantly higher rate of hypertriglyceridemia (p = 0.011) and abdominal obesity (p = 0.044).ConclusionAlthough, previous studies have shown that women are protected against cardiovascular disorders, some factors have changed this pattern. So that prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women is now even higher than in men. This process exacerbates with the decrease in estrogen levels through menopause. Consideration of early prevention and therapy in this specific group is of great importance.