title: Severity of menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular and osteoporosis risk factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether the severity of menopausal symptoms is related to increased cardiovascular and osteoporosis risk factors, and to determine whether women with more severe menopausal symptoms present a greater percentage of osteoporosis disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study encompassing women aged 45-65 years in the whole Spanish territory. The study population sample was collected through random sampling. A total of 10 514 women were included. Their sociodemographic, medical history and lifestyle data were assessed by means of a survey. The Kupperman Index was used to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms. Bone mineral density was measured by the dual X-ray absorptiometry method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalences of risk factors for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease were 67.6% and 74.8%, respectively. Women with a higher intensity of symptoms also had a greater percentage of cardiovascular (p < 0.001) and osteoporosis (p < 0.001) risk factors and suffered more from osteoporosis disease (p < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, those variables that contributed to the severity of menopausal symptoms were: arterial hypertension (odds ratio (OR) 2.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49-2.79; p < 0.001), dyslipidemia (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.48-2.4; p < 0.001), obesity (OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.55-2.91; p < 0.001), family history (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.17-1.59; p < 0.01), medication use (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.52-1.72; p < 0.01) and osteoporosis disease (OR 3.71; 95% CI 2.9-4.52; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with more severe menopausal symptoms had a greater prevalence of cardiovascular and osteoporosis disease risk factors and suffered more from osteoporosis disease compared to those who had milder or no menopausal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Primary Health Centre Guadalajara-Sur, Guadalajara, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez Pérez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chavida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires