title: Serum lipids and lipoproteins in relation to endogenous and exogenous female sex steroids and age. The Women's Health in the Lund Area (WHILA) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different studies have presented conflicting results concerning the effect of menopause on lipid levels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the serum lipid profile and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in women aged 50-60 and the perceived relation to endogenous and exogenous hormones and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of a total population of 10,766 women aged 50-59 years, 6908 (64%) participated in a health assessment program, including a lipid profile evaluation. The women were grouped according to hormonal status into pre-menopausal (PM), post-menopausal without hormone replacement therapy (PM0) (HRT) and post-menopausal with hormone replacement therapy (PMT). Age groups used were 50-54, 55-59 and >60 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum cholesterol and triglycerides increased significantly by age in PM0 (P < 0.0001) and triglycerides also in PMT (P < 0.0001). Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels decreased significantly by age in PMT (P = 0.002) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) increased in PM0 (P < 0.0001) and PMT (P = 0.007). The co-prevalence of levels of cholesterol >7 and triglycerides >2 mmol/l decreased by age in PM, but increased by age in PM0 and PMT. The prevalence of high-risk lipid levels and the prevalence of coexisting additional two metabolic risk factors were higher in the PM0 compared to the PMT group. The prevalence of serum triglycerides >1.5 and serum cholesterol >5 mmol/l were increasing by age in each of the hormonal groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that loss of endogenous sex steroids contribute substantially to an increased atherogenic lipid profile. Hormone replacement therapy may partly reverse these differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Lund, Primary Health Care R&D, SE-221 85, Sweden. christina.nerbrand@skane.se
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nerbrand
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lidfeldt
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scherstén
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Samsioe
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol