title: Modulation of coronary artery disease risk factors by menopausal status: A population based study among Iranian women (KERCADRStudy).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Menopause is now viewed as a risk factor for coronary heart diseases (CHD). There is a scarcity of evidence concerning the effects of menopause on coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of menopausal status on CAD risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was designed as part of the Kerman coronary artery disease risk study (KERCADRS) that was a population-based study among a cohort of 6000 individuals aged 15 to 75 years in Kerman, Iran. Only women aged 35 to 60 years were enrolled. Participants were categorized according to reproductive age into the three groups of premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal states.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The premenopausal status was accompanied with lower levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and blood pressure compared with the other two groups (P < 0.001). In addition, women in the postmenopausal group had higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in comparison with the other two groups (P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, total cholesterol and LDL levels were significantly higher in the postmenopausal group compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05). In addition, total cholesterol and LDL levels, and systolic blood pressure were statistically different according to menopausal status after adjustment for both age and body mass index (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal period can be explained by elevated levels of lipid profile and increased systolic blood pressure, regardless of effects of advanced age or other anthropometric parameters.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yousefzadeh
authors.affiliation: Resident, Clinical Research Center, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahdavi-Jafari
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shokoohi
authors.affiliation: Professor, Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Najafipour
authors.affiliation: Professor, Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali-Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Haghdoost
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Vida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Modares-Nejad
keywords: CAD Risk Factors; Perimenopause; Postmenopause; Premenopause; Women