Key result
Rest-activity rhythm amplitude links to lower SBP and earlier acrophase to higher HbA1c in postmenopausal women.
Why the study?
Limited research has examined how rest-activity rhythm patterns differ after menopause and relate to cardiometabolic outcomes.
How do rest-activity rhythms and menopausal status interact to influence cardiometabolic risk factors in midlife women?
Cross-Sectional (n=515)
How do rest-activity rhythms and menopausal status interact to influence cardiometabolic risk factors in midlife women?
Effect estimate: β = 0.23
p-value: p=0.008
In midlife women, postmenopausal status interacts with rest-activity rhythms, where higher amplitude is associated with lower systolic blood pressure and earlier acrophase is associated with higher glucose and HbA1c levels.
Should not yet change clinical BP assessment in menopausal women; leaves open hypothesis-generating role of circadian amplitude for targeted research.
Introduction Menopause is associated with increased metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Aging influences sleep and rest-activity rhythms (RAR), and menopause is particularly associated with sleep disruptions and reduced physical activity. However, limited research has examined how RAR patterns differ after menopause and how they relate to cardiometabolic outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between menopause and RAR, and to explore how these RAR influence cardiometabolic risk factors in combination with menopause. Methods A total of 515 women with menopause status data (median age = 52; range = 34–84 years) from the Midlife in the United States 2 (MIDUS 2) study were used. Responses from the question ‘have you had your period in the last year?’ were used to determine menopausal status (i.e., perimenopausal vs. Postmenopausal). We used 7-day actigraphy data to assess RAR parameters (i.e., MESOR, amplitude, acrophase, and R-squared). Fasting glucose, HbA1C, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were assessed to evaluate cardiometabolic risk factors. Multiple regression tested associations between menopause, RAR, and metabolic outcomes, including interaction terms (menopause X RAR). Results After accounting for covariates, menopausal status moderated the relationship between amplitude and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.23, p = 0.008). The interaction between menopausal status and acrophase was significantly associated with glucose (β = -4.053, p= 0.013) and HbA1c levels (β = -0.18623, p= 0.009), but not with other metabolic profiles. Conclusion We found that higher amplitude was associated with lower systolic blood pressure in post menopausal women. An earlier acrophase was significantly associated with higher glucose and HbA1c levels in postmenopausal women than in perimenopausal women. Future studies with comprehensive assessments of menopausal status and activity patterns are needed to elucidate these relationships further. Support (if any) The first author (Goettel) was supported by the University of Iowa Undergraduate Research Fellowship. This work was supported by University of Iowa Csomay Center (PI; Moon). Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the University of Iowa.
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Goettel et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Menopause and Cardiometabolic Risk (n=515). Rest-activity rhythms (RAR) vs. Perimenopausal vs. Postmenopausal was evaluated on Cardiometabolic risk factors (fasting glucose, HbA1C, blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol) (β = 0.23, p=0.008). Rest-activity rhythm amplitude was associated with lower systolic blood pressure in postmenopausal women (β=0.23, p=0.008), while earlier acrophase linked to higher glucose and HbA1c levels.
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