title: Markers of increased cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women: focus on oxidized-LDL and HDL subpopulations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of gender and menopause in cardiovascular risk (CVR) in a healthy population based on both classical and nontraditional markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  56 men and 68 women (48 pre- and 20 postmenopause) were enrolled in the study. The following markers were analyzed: blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), glucose, total cholesterol (total-c), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), oxidized-LDL (Ox-LDL), HDL-c and subpopulations, paraoxonase-1 activity, hsCRP, uric acid, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF- α ), adiponectin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and intercellular adhesion molecular 1 (ICAM1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relative to the women, men present significantly increased BMI, WC, BP, glucose, total-c, TGs, LDL-c, Ox-LDL, uric acid, and TNF- α and reduced adiponectin and total and large HDL-c. The protective profile of women is lost after menopause with a significantly increased BMI, WC, BP, glucose, LDL-c, Ox-LDL, hsCRP, and VEGF and decreased total and large HDL-c. Significant correlations were found in women population and in postmenopausal women between Ox-LDL and total, large, and small HDL-c and between TNF- α and total, large, and small HDL-c, LDL-c, and Ox-LDL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Men present higher CVR than women who lost protection after menopause, evidenced by nontraditional markers, including Ox-LDL and HDL subpopulations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas-Melo
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sereno
authors.forename: Edite
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Lemos
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Petronila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rocha-Pereira
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cotterill
authors.forename: Frederico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Flávio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase