FAT DISTRIBUTION AND PLASMA LIPID-LIPOPROTEIN CONCENTRATIONS IN PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

OBJECTIVE: In the postmenopausal years, women develop a central patter n of fat distribution and an increased risk of developing cardiovascul ar disease (CVD). The possibility that these events are related has no t been extensively investigated, The object of the present study was t o test the hypotheses that, 1) menopause-related differences in lipids are associated with greater estimated intra-abdominal adiposity, and 2) the relationship between individual adipose depots and plasma lipid s differs with menopausal status, DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SUBJECTS: 1 41 healthy pre- and postmenopausal women aged 35-65 y. MEASUREMENTS: T otal body fat by hydrodensitometry was used as an index of whole-body adiposity, the sum of five central skinfold measurements as an index o f subcutaneous upper-body adiposity, and estimated intra-abdominal adi pose tissue (IAF) as an index of visceral adiposity. Easting plasma co ncentrations of total cholesterol (total-C), high- and low-density-lip oprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, LDL-C), and triglycerides were used as in dices of CVD risk. RESULTS: Postmenopausal women had greater total bod y fat (P < 0.001), summed central skinfolds (P < 0.01), estimated IAF (P < 0.001), higher plasma concentrations of total-C (P < 0.001), LDL- C (P < 0.001) and triglycerides (P < 0.001), than premenopausal women. The relationship between central skinfolds and LDL-C differed with me nopausal status, being significant in pre- but not postmenopausal wome n. Adjustment for estimated IAF with analysis of covariance decreased menopause-related differences in levels of total-C, LDL-C and triglyce rides by approx 40-70%. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that, 1 ) menopause-related changes in IAF may adversely affect the plasma lip id profile, and 2) menopausal status affects the relationship between central subcutaneous fat and LDL-C, Studies with measured IAF are need ed to confirm present results.