title: Relationship between leukoaraiosis and menopause in healthy middle-aged women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between leukoaraiosis (LA) and menopause in healthy middle-aged women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health promotion center of a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 262 healthy pre- and postmenopausal women ages 41-60 years who visited the health promotion center for a routine health checkup.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  LA is defined as diffuse white matter abnormalities on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). LA was assessed by examining MRIs and using the rating scale of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine associations between LA and menopause.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with LA had a significantly higher age than women without LA. Elevated blood pressure (≥ 130/85 mm Hg) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (<50 mg/dL) were frequent abnormal findings in women with LA. The proportion of menopause was significantly higher in women with LA than in those without LA. Menopause was independently associated with the presence of LA (adjusted odds ratio, 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.10, 4.60) after adjusting for confounding variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Menopause was significantly associated with LA. Loss of estrogen may play an important role in the development of LA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Kyo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Inkyung
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sang Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: SiHyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Young Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tae Sub
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Byung Seok
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Leukoaraiosis; estrogen; menopause