Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To learn the prevalence of abnormal components of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women, and to explore the optimal body composition indices to predict the abnormal components of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.
METHODS: A total of 181 participants were recruited from postmenopausal women who came to Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital for health examination between July 2006 and August 2007. They were 41-60 years of age, and there were 1-9 years since menopause. Their clinical and biochemical parameters were measured, including body height, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter, blood pressure, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin and body fat. The prevalence of the abnormal components of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women was investigated. The correlations between body composition indices and the components of metabolic syndrome were analyzed by partial correlation analysis independent of age, years since postmenopause and the level of estradiol. The body composition indices to predict the abnormal components of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women were explored.
RESULTS: ①The prevalence of central obesity (waist circumference ≥ 80 cm), hypertriglyceridemia (triglyceride ≥   
1.7 mmol/L), low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (high density lipoprotein-cholesterol < 1.29 mmol/L), hypertension (systolic pressure ≥ 130 mm Hg or diastolic pressure ≥ 85 mm Hg, 1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) and high fasting glucose (fasting plasma glucose ≥ 5.6 mmol/L) was 48.1%, 31.5%, 16.6%, 38.7% and 50.3%, respectively. ②Through partial correlation analysis, body composition indices (body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, sagittal abdominal diameter, and body fat) had a positive correlation with triglyceride, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and fasting plasma glucose, while a negative correlation with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, independent of age, years since postmenopause and the level of estradiol. ③Body composition indices and critical value of them used to predict the abnormal components of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women were as follows: hypertriglyceridemia: body mass index ≥ 24.845 kg/m²; low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol: sagittal abdominal diameter ≥ 18.85 cm; hypertension: body mass index ≥ 23.33 kg/m²; high fasting glucose: sagittal abdominal diameter ≥ 18.10 cm or body fat ≥ 36.515%.
CONCLUSION: Central obesity and high fasting glucose are the most common metabolic disorders in postmenopausal women. Obesity is an independent risk factor of metabolic syndrome for postmenopausal women. Body composition indices and their critical values to predict the abnormal components of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women are found.