title: Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in menopausal Argentinian women.
abstract: The cardiovascular risk factor profile was assessed in a population sample consisting of 60 nonmenopausal (control) and 100 menopausal women from different cities in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Each subject was individually interviewed and asked to complete a specially designed questionnaire aimed at identifying cardiovascular risk factors. A clinical general and gynecological examination including blood pressure and anthropometric measurements as well as a Papanicolaou smear were performed. The most prevalent risk factor in the menopausal group was low physical activity (87% of the subjects), followed by nervous complaints (67%), obesity (64%), familial antecedents of cardiovascular disease (CVD; 38%) and hypertension (33%). Other risk factors assessed showed a level of prevalence below 10%. In the control group, a tobacco smoking habit was the CVD risk factor with the highest prevalence (47%). Nervous complaints also showed a high prevalence (48%). Most menopausal patients (77%) had a cardiovascular risk index (RI) level between 1.5 and 4.0, whereas 17% of these subjects had an RI greater than 4.0 (high-risk patients). The present study reveals that, in the studied community, the menopause is associated with increased levels of both estrogen-dependent and psychosocial risk factors for CVD.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Endócrinos, Hospital Escuela General San Martín, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Etchegoyen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Goya
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Panzica
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sevillano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking