title: The relationship between physical activity and lipoprotein subclasses in postmenopausal women: the influence of hormone therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study's objective was to determine if the association between physical activity and lipids and lipoprotein subclasses in postmenopausal women varies by hormone therapy (HT) use.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional relationship between physical activity and lipid and lipoprotein subclass relationship was examined before group randomization in 485 postmenopausal (mean age 56.9 [2.9] y) white and African American women from the Woman On the Move through Activity and Nutrition study. This study is a randomized clinical trial designed to test whether a lifestyle intervention will reduce subclinical cardiovascular disease measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hormone therapy users (n = 286) were significantly (P < 0.05) younger, less likely to be African American, reported higher levels of physical activity, large very low-density lipoprotein particles (VLDL-P), and medium high-density lipoprotein particles (HDL-P), had a larger mean HDL-P size, and lower levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, small HDL-P, and small VLDL-P than nonusers (n = 196). Physical activity was significantly associated with favorable lipoprotein and lipid levels, regardless of HT use. Some relationships were found to vary significantly by HT use. In nonusers, mean HDL-P and LDL particles (LDL-P) size was significantly larger (P = 0.01 and 0.05, respectively) and total and small LDL-P were significantly lower (both P = 0.02) as activity increased. These relationship were not found in HT users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical activity was significantly related to some lipoprotein subclasses regardless of HT; however, several key lipoprotein subclasses were associated with higher levels of activity only among non-HT users.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. kelley.pettee@asu.edu
authors.forename: Kelley K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Pettee
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kriska
authors.forename: B Delia
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Molly B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Conroy
authors.forename: Rachel H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Mackey
authors.forename: Trevor J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Orchard
authors.forename: Lewis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuller
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins