Interrelationship between insulin resistance and menopause on the metabolic syndrome and its individual component among nondiabetic women in the kinmen study.
BACKGROUND
The literature to date is not clear as to whether any interactive effect exists between insulin resistance and menopause on the metabolic syndrome and its individual components. We explored this issue in 4107 homogeneous, nondiabetic Chinese women in the Kinmen Study.


METHODS
Overnight fasting blood samples were drawn for glucose, insulin, lipid, and other biochemical measurements. Demographic and clinical variables including body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured and documented during face-to-face interviews with structured questionnaires. Menstrual history was used to define menopause as the absence of menses for 12 consecutive months.


RESULTS
Approximately 16% of premenopausal women (390/2423) were insulin-resistant. After adjustment for age, body mass index, lifestyle, and diet, both menopause and insulin resistance were independently and significantly correlated with metabolic syndrome. For each component of the metabolic syndrome, besides the main effect, the interaction (insulin resistance x menopause) had significant correlation with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and waist circumference.


CONCLUSIONS
Both insulin resistance and menopause have significant effects on metabolic syndrome independent of age and obesity. In premenopausal and nondiabetic women, various degrees of insulin resistance exist. The synergistic contribution of insulin resistance and menopause to components of the metabolic syndrome were observed with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and waist circumference. This requires further study.
Lin
Kuan-Chia
KC
Department of Nursing, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tsai
Shih-Tzer
ST
Kuo
Su-Chen
SC
Tsay
Shiow-Luan
SL
Chou
Pesus
P
D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008593:Menopause; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires