Relationships of age, menopause and central obesity on cardiovascular disease risk factors in Chinese women

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the inter-relationships of age- and menopause- relat ed changes of general obesity and body fat distribution and their independe nt effects on cardiovascular risk factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: One-hundred and thirty-six premenopausal and 193 postmenopausal C hinese women with body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m(2). MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric surrogates of general obesity (BMI, total body fat percentage) and central obesity (waist-to-hip ratio, centrality index) were measured. Blood pressure, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, glycosyla ted hemoglobin Al, and lipid profiles were also measured. RESULTS: Significant correlation coefficients between age, general obesity, central obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors were noted. Throug h the menopausal transition, the BMI and total body fat percentage were inc reased significantly. After adjustments for age and BMI, the postmenopausal women showed higher android fat percentage, centrality index, glycosylated hemoglobin A(1c), serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density l ipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and atherogenic indices than the premenopausal women. In multiple stepwise regression models, age exerted independent eff ects on oral glucose tolerance test 2 h plasma glucose level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol level, and LDL cholesterol. Men opause was an independent variable in relation to the changes of glycosylat ed hemoglobin A(1c), total and LDL cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and atherogenic: indices. The centrality index was the major independent va riable of all the cardiovascular disease risk factors, except total and LDL cholesterol level. However, the variation of total body fat percentage had no independent effect on any cardiovascular disease risk factors. CONCLUSION: Through the aging and menopausal effects, women will increase t otal body fat content, favoring the central body fat distribution. Age, men opause and central obesity were all independent and significant factors to the cardiovascular disease risk factors in Chinese women.