Vasomotor symptoms and cardiometabolic risk factors in menopausal women: a MONET Group study.
BACKGROUND
Conflicting results have been reported concerning the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in women experiencing vasomotor symptoms (VMS).


OBJECTIVE
To compare cardiometabolic risk factors between women with and without VMS during the menopause transition and to determine the influence of physical activity on the prevalence of VMS.


METHODS
Yearly assessment of women transitioning through menopause included self-reported VMS (hot flushes and night sweats), body composition and fat distribution, fasting glucose, insulin and lipids, and physical activity levels.


RESULTS
Eighty-five of the 102 premenopausal women at baseline were included (age: 49.9 ± 2.0 years; body mass index: 23.2 ± 2.2 kg/m(2)). According to linear mixed model analyses, no statistically significant differences were observed for fat mass, lean body mass, body fat distribution indices and cardiometabolic risk factors, when comparing symptomatic vs. asymptomatic women. Neither physical activity levels nor intensity were associated with the prevalence of VMS.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that women transitioning through menopause who reported VMS did not show greater deteriorations in body composition, body fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk factors. Furthermore, physical activity levels were not associated with lower prevalence of vasomotor symptoms in the present cohort.
a School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;|b Institut de recherche de l'Hôpital Montfort , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;|c Behavioral and Metabolic Research Unit , University of Ottawa , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;
J
J
Abdulnour
d School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;
D
D
Stacey
e Faculté des sciences de l'activité physique , Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke , QC , Canada ;|f Research Centre on Aging, Social Services and Health Centre-University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke , QC , Canada.
I J
IJ
Dionne
e Faculté des sciences de l'activité physique , Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke , QC , Canada ;|f Research Centre on Aging, Social Services and Health Centre-University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke , QC , Canada.
M
M
Brochu
a School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;|c Behavioral and Metabolic Research Unit , University of Ottawa , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;
É
É
Doucet
a School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;|b Institut de recherche de l'Hôpital Montfort , Ottawa , ON , Canada ;
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D
Prud'homme
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000503:physiopathology*
Menopause; body composition; cardiometabolic risk factors; physical activity; vasomotor symptoms