Postmenopausal status according to years since menopause as an independent risk factor for the metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Features of the metabolic syndrome such as abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia develop with the transition from pre- to postmenopausal status in women. We investigated the effects of postmenopausal status on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome according to years since menopause.


METHODS
We studied 1,002 women, 618 premenopausal and 384 postmenopausal, who participated in annual health examinations at Anam Hospital in Seoul, Korea.


RESULTS
Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, we determined that postmenopausal status was an independent risk factor for the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, after controlling for age and body mass index, postmenopausal women had an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.62-5.33) and the abnormalities of its individual components. The risk for the metabolic syndrome increased up to 14 years since menopause, then decreased. For its individual components, postmenopausal women with 5 to 9 years since menopause had the highest risk of high blood pressure; postmenopausal women with less than 5 years since menopause had an increased risk of abdominal obesity and high glucose. With 10 to 14 years since menopause, postmenopausal women had an increased risk of high triglycerides.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal status is an independent risk factor for the metabolic syndrome and all of its individual components. The risk for the metabolic syndrome increased up to 14 years since menopause. In addition, postmenopausal status has effects during different periods since menopause for each of these components.
Cho
Geum Joon
GJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Jong Hyun
JH
Park
Hyun Tae
HT
Shin
Jung Ho
JH
Hong
Soon Cheol
SC
Kim
Tak
T
Hur
Jun Young
JY
Lee
Kyu Wan
KW
Park
Yong Kyun
YK
Kim
Sun Haeng
SH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors