Epidemiology of Vascular Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women. Experience of aMultidisciplinary Climacteric Clinic at a Public Hospital in Buenos Aires

BackgroundVascular events in women increase after menopause. In order to reduce their impacton morbidity and mortality, vascular risk factors should be detected and controlled.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to analyze vascular risk factors in climacteric womencomparing differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women, and toevaluate the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and/or dyslipidemia in associationwith age and/or postmenopause.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included all the women who consecutively attended theMultidisciplinary Climacteric Clinic for symptoms related to alterations and/or cessationof menstruation between 2004 and 2009. Age, blood pressure, waist circumference(WC), body mass index (BMI), blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, HDL-C,LDL-C, triglycerides, metabolic syndrome (MS), sedentarism, smoking (SMK) anddepression symptoms were evaluated.ResultsOf the 440 women analyzed in the study, with mean age 51.4 ± 5.2 years and medianage 51.0 years, 62.5% were postmenopausal. Hypertension was found in 22.1% ofwomen, diabetes mellitus in 4.2%, total cholesterol  ≥ 200 mg/dL in 67.7%, HDL-C 88 cm in 45.0%, WC > 80cm in 75.1%, BMI > 25 in 64.5%, MS in 19.4%, sedentarism in 51.7%, smoking in22.5% and depression symptoms in 69.8%. Postmenopausal women had higher totalcholesterol levels and lower weight. Those with more than 5 years of amenorrheahad both higher total cholesterol and weight. Smokers were younger. Hypertension,diabetes and dyslipidemia were associated with older age but not with postmenopause.ConclusionsDyslipidemia, overweight, sedentarism and depression symptoms were prevalentacross all groups. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were associated with aging.