title: Menopausal status and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Changes in cardiovascular risk factors with menopausal status are difficult to study, owing to the high correlation of menopausal status with age. Therefore we examined cardiovascular risk factors in a meticulously selected population in which the contrast in oestrogen status between pre- and postmenopausal women of the same age was maximized.
  
  
  METHODS
  Risk factors were compared in 93 premenopausal and 93 postmenopausal women who were matched on age (range 43-55 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  The women were selected from respondents to a mailed questionnaire about the menopause, which was sent to all women aged 40-60 years in the Dutch town of Zoetermeer (n = 12 675; response 54%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Postmenopausal women who were at least 3 years after menopause or whose menses had stopped naturally before age 48 were age-matched with premenopausal women with regular menses and without menopausal complaints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to premenopausal women, postmenopausal women had significantly increased levels of total cholesterol (10.0%, 95% confidence interval 5.1-14.0), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (14.0%, 6.9-19.9), and apolipoprotein B (8.2%, 0.6-15.5). The difference was present within 3 years after onset of menopause and did not show a trend towards an increase with the number of postmenopausal years. No differences were found in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, blood glucose, insulin, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study add to the evidence that total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B are the primary cardiovascular risk factors affected by menopause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Erasmus University Medical School, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Westendorp
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hak
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Grobbee
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stehouwer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Witteman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol