title: Menopausal symptoms are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy recently postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether menopausal symptoms are associated with changes in arterial structure and function in healthy, recently postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ten postmenopausal women aged 45-55 years were included in the present cross-sectional study. Menopausal symptoms were recorded by the Greene Climacteric Scale. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, serum lipids, glucose, insulin, sex and thyroid hormones were determined in each individual. Arterial structure, function and stiffness were assessed by intima-media thickness (IMT), flow-mediated dilation and pulse-wave velocity, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with moderate to severe hot flushes had increased IMT compared to women with no or mild hot flushes (IMT in women with no hot flushes 0.61±0.08 mm, IMT in women with mild hot flushes 0.62±0.11 mm, IMT in women with moderate to severe hot flushes 0.67±0.11 mm; p = 0.034). This difference was independent of cardiovascular risk factors like age, menopausal age, smoking, blood pressure, adiposity, lipid levels, insulin resistance or hormone levels. No association was detected between psychological or psychosomatic symptoms and arterial indices. Furthermore, menopausal symptoms were not associated with serum sex steroids or thyroid hormone levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carotid IMT, a surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk, was found to be increased in women with vasomotor symptoms as compared to asymptomatic women. This association was independent of cardiovascular risk factors or endogenous hormone levels. It remains to be elucidated whether the presence of menopausal symptoms is an additional cardiovascular risk factor requiring preventive intervention.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Lambrinoudaki
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Augoulea
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Armeni
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Rizos
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Alexandrou
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Creatsa
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kazani
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Georgiopoulos
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Livada
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Exarchakou
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Stamatelopoulos
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers