Post-M Group Research Articles

Perceived quality of sleep across the menopausal transition: A retrospective cohort study.

To compare sleep quality among naturally and surgically post-menopausal women, and to identify lifestyle factors that predict sleep quality in pre, peri, and postmenopausal women. This is a retrospective cohort study of data collected from 429 women who participated in Fels Longitudinal Study data. Sleep quality, based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, demographics, medical history, depression, quality of life, and physical activity levels were included in the analysis. The four study groups did not differ on overall sleep quality with either scale (p = 0.61). Both Post-M groups were more likely to have a major sleep problem than the Peri-M and Pre-M groups (p < 0.001), and to have a history of restless leg syndrome (p = 0.016), but the two Post-M groups did not differ on these problems. Predictors of sleep quality included depression, bodily pain, vitality, and surgical menopause (p<0.001). Menopause is associated with sleep disrupting conditions. This study did not find any significant differences in sleep quality among the three reproductive stages or for natural versus surgical menopause. Women may benefit from addressing other lifestyle factors associated with poor sleep quality including mental health factors.

Estimation of neopterin as a biomarker in biofluids of pre and post-menopausal women after initial periodontal therapy: A biochemical assay.

Context:Periodontitis (PDD) is a chronic inflammatory condition by nature which destroys the surrounding tooth structures. Menopause (pre and post) worsens the inflammatory state. Biofluids could serve as sources of biomarkers that could diagnose or indicate the intensity and extent of both conditions.Aims:This study aimed to guestimate the various biofluids of neopterin (NP) levels in premenopause (pre-m) and postmenopausal (post-m) women with PDD after initial periodontal therapy (IPT).Settings and Design:This was an interventional cross-sectional study.Materials and Methods:Based on menstrual history, within the age range of 40–60 years, 30 female patients having PDD participated, who were grouped into pre-m and post-m, each group comprised 15 subjects. A biochemical test of NP levels was done at the initial and three months following IPT. Statistics used: Group comparisons and percentage decrement using independent sample t-test and paired t-test for intragroup comparison were done with the version 21, IBM SPSS software.Results:Intragroup NP analysis at different time points showed significant improvement. Intergroup comparison, however, has shown significant improvement in the premenopausal group (Group I) only.Conclusions:Reduced levels of NP were found in pre-m and post-m groups 3 months after IPT, inferring that IPT is a paragon in periodontal therapy and NP might be a good diagnostic marker to detect PDD.

Menopausal Status and Outcomes of BRCA Mutation Carriers with Breast Cancer

Outcomes based on menopausal status of breast cancer (BC) patients who are BRCA mutations carriers (BRCAm) are not well known. A prospective database identified 88 BRCAm with BC from 2005 to 2015. Of the 88 patients, 68 (77.3%) women were premenopausal (Pre-M) and 20 (22.7%) were postmenopausal (Post-M). In the Pre-M group, 52.9 per cent of patients had triple-negative (TN) BC, whereas in the Post-M group, there were more estrogen receptor +(65%; P = 0.129) and less TN (25%; P = 0.041) tumors. Median tumor size was significantly larger in the Pre-M group compared with the Post-M group (P <0.001). Pre-M women were more likely to present with stage III cancers (14.7% vs 0%, respectively, P = 0.082). Ten-year overall survival was 87.9 per cent in the Pre-M group and 93.8 per cent in the Post-M group (P = 0.44), and 25.3 per cent of Pre-M women had recurrences compared with 11.5 per cent of Post-M women (P = 0.24). Premenopausal BRCAm with BC are more likely to have TN, higher stage disease, and twice the number of recurrences at 10 years than Post-M BRCAm. Our study is the first to show worse BC outcomes for Pre-M BRCAm compared with Post-M BRCAm women.

Genetically Obese Human Gut Microbiota Induces Liver Steatosis in Germ-Free Mice Fed on Normal Diet.

Dysbiotic gut microbiota contributes to genetically obese phenotype in human. However, the effect of genetic obesity-associated gut microbiota on host hepatic metabolic deteriorations remains largely unknown. Gut microbiota from a genetically obese human donor before and after a dietary weight loss program was transplanted into germ-free C57BL/6J male mice, grouped as PreM and PostM groups, respectively. The gut microbiome, liver pathology and transcriptome response in the gnotobiotic mice were evaluated. After being fed on normal chow diet for 4 weeks, PreM group developed liver macrovesicular steatosis accompanied with higher concentrations of hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol, while PostM group exhibited normal hepatic physiology. The gut microbiota in PreM and PostM groups was significantly different from each other and was more resembling with their respective donor. RNA-sequencing revealed that, in comparison with PostM group, PreM group showed a foregoing pro-steatotic transcriptional response in liver featuring by the repression of lipid beta-oxidation and the activation of lipid absorption and cholesterol uptake before the pathology of liver steatosis. Moreover, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), which was repressed in PreM group, may act as crucial regulator of the hepatic transcriptional profile of lipid metabolism between two groups. Our results show that gut microbiota from a genetically obese human promotes the onset of liver steatosis by impacting hepatic transcriptional profile of lipid metabolism in mice. This adds new evidence that gut microbiota may play a causative role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Interrelationship between Total and Undercarboxilated Osteocalcin Levels, and Body Mass Index in Women

Obesity and osteoporosis are two of the main common chronic diseases in women. Both are interconnected and contribute to glucose homeostasis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of BMI on serum levels of total (OC) and undercarboxilated osteocalcin (ucOC), in 100 non diabetic overweight or obese adult women. Women were divided according BMI (range 25.0 to 52.8 kg/m2) into quartiles, and according to their menopausal status: premenopausal (PreM: ≤45 y; n=33), perimenopausal (PeriM: 46–54 y; n=18), postmenopausal (PostM: 55–65 y; n=34) and late menopausal (LM: &gt;65 y; n=15). Total OC, ucOC and leptin were determined by ELISA kits. There were not significant differences between PreM and PostM from the same BMI quartile both in OCn and ucOCn. No significant changes were found in total OC mean values among BMI quartiles in either PreM or PostM (From the 1st to 4th quartiles: PreM: 37.5±3.0; 33.9±9.9; 27.2±12.2 and 25.1±17.4 ng/ml; PostM: 35.9±13.2; 43.6±21.5; 28.5±12.8; 28.3±16.3). In both menopausal status, the mean OCn levels presented a tendency to have lower values in the 3rd and 4th quartiles as compared to the 1st and 2nd. Conversely, there was a significant increase in ucOC mean levels as BMI increase, both in PreM and in PostM groups (from 1st to 4th quartiles: PreM: 1.53±1.08; 1.93±1.25; 3.25±1.72 and 4.27±0.86 ng/ml; ANOVA P=0.0003, Tuckey post‐test: P&lt;0.01 between 1st and 4th and between 2nd and 4th quartiles; PostM: 1.09±1.04; 1.88±1.62; 2.74±1.51; 4.21±1.83; ANOVA P=0.0009, Tuckey post‐test: P&lt;0.001 between 1st and 4th and P&lt;0.05 between 2nd and 4th). Leptin levels also increased with BMI in both PreM and PostM.ConclusionThe present results confirm that BMI presents a significant influence on OC decarboxylation through leptin levels. Moreover, as ucOC is involved in glycemic control, the present results suggest that glucose homeostasis is affected by the increase in BMI.Support or Funding InformationSupported by Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBACyT 20720130100006BA

The benefit of deep inspiration breath hold: evaluating cardiac radiation exposure in patients after mastectomy and after breast-conserving surgery.

This study aims to evaluate the reduction of cardiac radiation dose and volume with deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) technique compared to free breathing (FB) in patients with left-sided breast cancer. The study also aims to evaluate whether the benefits of DIBH vary in patients who had whole breast radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and those who had chest wall RT post-mastectomy (M). FB and DIBH plans were generated for 15 consecutive post-BCS patients and 17 post-M patients who underwent RT with DIBH using varian real-time position management (RPM) system. Cardiac shields were used in all post-BCS plans, provided that clinical treatment volume coverage was not compromised, while chest wall coverage took priority in post-M plans. The prescribed dose was 50Gy in 25 fractions for the whole breast or the chest wall. Parameters of interest were cardiac V5, mean LAD dose, maximum LAD dose, and mean heart dose. The impact of DIBH was compared in post-BCS and post-M patients using paired t tests. To gauge clinically meaningful outcome, the proportion of patients with V5<5% and mean cardiac dose <2Gy were compared using McNemar's test. DIBH decreased V5 by an absolute 4.5% (2.3 vs. 6.8%; p<0.0001) in post-M group, and by an absolute 2.4% (1.3 vs. 3.7%; p=0.0028) in post-BCS group. DIBH decreased the mean heart dose by 107.0cGy (127.4 vs. 234.4cGy; p=0.0002) in post-M group, and by 58.9cGy (82.2 vs. 141.1cGy; p=0.0012) in post-BCS group. DIBH decreased mean LAD by 1201.6cGy (670 vs. 1872.5cGy; p=0.0006) in post-M group, and by 799.0cGy (425.3 vs. 1224.3cGy; p=0.0003) in post-BCS group. DIBH also decreased max LAD dose by 1244.3cGy (2776.0 vs. 4020.3cGy; p=0.0014) in post-M group, and by 1856.3cGy (1898.7 vs. 3754.9cGy; p=0.0005) in post-BCS group. In post-BCS group, cardiac V5<5% was achieved in 10/15 (67%) FB patients, and in 15/15 (100%) DIBH patients (p=0.002), and mean heart dose <2Gy was achieved in 12/15 (80%) FB patients and in 15/15 (100%) DIBH patients (p<0.001). This compares with post-M group, in which V5<5% was achieved in 6/17 (35%) FB patients and in 16/17 (94%) DIBH patients (p=0.05), and mean heart dose <2Gy was achieved in 7/17 FB (41%) an 16/17 DIBH patients (94%) (p=0.03). The results of this study suggest that there is considerable reduction in cardiac exposure in most patients with DIBH compared to FB, although less reduction is observed in the post-BCS patients. The use of cardiac shields and collimators/gantry adjustments, more readily applicable for post-BCS cases, may limit the additional benefits of DIBH. In an environment where DIBH availability is limited, the result of this study supports the preferential use of DIBH in post-M patients over post-BCS patients.

Upregulated Cellular Expression of IL-17 by CD4+ T-Cells in Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Women

Aim: The study aimed to investigate cellular expression of IL-17 by CD4+ T-cells in osteoporotic postmenopausal women. Methods: We enrolled 25 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (PostMO) and 25 postmenopausal women with normal bone mineral density measurements (PostM) to examine the production of IL-17, tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa) and receptor activator of nuclear factor γ-B ligand (RANKL) by CD4+ T-cells and IL-17, RORγt, TNFa and RANKL mRNA levels in CD4+ T-cells. Circulating concentrations of IL-17 along with IL-6, TNFa, RANKL and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were also determined. Results: Osteoporotic postmenopausal women had higher serum concentrations of IL-17 (3.7 ± 1.3 vs. 2.5 ± 1.1 ng/ml, p = 0.042), IL-6 (158 ± 56 vs. 105 ± 39 pg/ml, p = 0.044), TNFa (138 ± 41 vs. 74 ± 11 pg/ml, p < 0.001) and OPG (1.7 ± 0.4 vs. 1.3 ± 0.4 ng/ml, p = 0.039) than healthy controls. The IL-17-producing CD4+ T-cells were higher in the PostMO group than in the PostM group (7.1 ± 2.4 vs. 4.9 ± 1.4%, p = 0.0015). Additionally, osteoporotic postmenopausal women had greater mRNA levels of IL-17 (3.5 ± 2.9 vs. 1.2 ± 1.0%, p = 0.019) and RORγt (5.7 ± 2.5 vs. 2.2 ± 1.0%, p < 0.001) in CD4+ T-cells than in healthy controls. Conclusions: Our findings implied that the upregulated production of IL-17 may play an important role in regulating bone loss in osteoporotic postmenopausal women.

Urogenital Biomolecular and Physical Measures in Pre- and Post-Menopausal Women

Background: A clinical study was conducted to evaluate biomolecules and physical measures in the urogenital skin of pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women. Methods: A total of 45 female subjects (aged 21 - 70 years) were enrolled in the study and assigned to one of three groups: 15 pre-menopausal (pre-M), 15 post-menopausal receiving no form of hormone replacement therapy (post-M non-HRT), and 15 post-menopausal receiving HRT (post-M HRT). Self-assessed symptoms were recorded from each group (i.e. dryness, itch and difficulty with intercourse). Skin temperature and pH, and quantification of biomolecules (via tape strip samples) were obtained from the labia majora, labia minora and introitus. Vaginal pH was also collected. Results: More post-menopausal subjects (HRT and non-HRT) reported genital symptoms of external and vaginal dryness, and difficulties with intercourse. External genital skin itch was reported more frequently in the post-M non-HRT group. Skin temperature was lower in both post-M groups indicating reduced blood perfusion. The pH was significantly higher for the post-M non-HRT group at the vagina, introitus and labia minora compared to the pre-M group. Histamine was significantly reduced in both post-M groups; however, histamine levels did not correlate with complaints of itching. The concentration of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) did not differ consistently between groups. Concentrations of IL-1α tended to be lower in the pre-M group at all three body sites. Conclusions: This is the first report of non-invasive measures of temperature, pH, biomolecules of vulvar tissue in post- and pre-menopausal women. Based on results of histamine analyses, we propose that reduced histamine levels in post-menopausal women are related to sexual and lubrication difficulties, and reduced blood perfusion. J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2015;4(3):237-250 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jcgo347e

Long-term results of single-procedure catheter ablation for atrial fibrillationin pre- and post-menopausal women.

ObjectivesTo address whether menopause affects outcome of catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) by comparing the safety and long-term outcome of a single-procedure in pre- and post-menopausal women.MethodsA total of 743 female patients who underwent a single CA procedure of drug-refractory AF were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in clinical presentation and outcomes of CA for AF between the pre-menopausal women (PreM group, 94 patients, 12.7%) and the post-menopausal women (PostM group, 649 patients, 87.3%) were assessed.ResultsThe patients in the PreM group were younger (P < 0.001) and less likely to have hypertension (P < 0.001) and diabetes (P = 0.005) than those in the PostM group. The two groups were similar with regards to the proportion of concomitant mitral valve regurgitation coronary artery disease, left atrium dimensions, and left ventricular ejection fraction. The overall rate of complications related to AF ablation was similar in both groups (P = 0.385). After 43 (16–108) months of follow-up, the success rate of ablation was 54.3% in the PreM group and 54.2% in the PostM group (P = 0.842). The overall freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence was similar in both groups. Menopause was not found to be an independent predictive factor of the recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia.ConclusionsThe long-term outcomes of single-procedure CA for AF are similar in pre- and post-menopausal women. Results indicated that CA of AF appears to be as safe and effective in pre-menopausal women as in post-menopausal women.

Sweating and thirst perception in premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women during moderate exercise

Objective: We examined the sweat rate (SR), sweat volume (SV), sweat sodium concentration (S[Na+]) and changes in thirst perception (TP), in premenopausal (preM), perimenopausal (periM) and postmenopausal (postM) women after moderate exercise. Methods: Thirty healthy women comprising preM (22.5 ± 0.8 yrs, n = 10), periM (46.5 ± 1.1 yrs, n = 10) and postM (52.2 ± 0.9 yrs, n = 10) participated in the study. All participants gave informed consent. TP was rated using the visual analogue scale. Sweat was obtained with sweat suction apparatus from a 120 cm2 circular area marked on the skin of the face and neck, after moderate exercise, i.e. a 15 min walk on the treadmill at a speed of 4.2 km/h at 27°C. The start time was noted, SR, SV and S[Na+] were determined. Results: Exercise induced a significant change in TP in all groups, of which the postM women exhibited the lowest thirst ratings. Although there was no significant difference in SV and S[Na+] between the groups, the periM women showed a significantly higher SR compared to both preM and postM groups. A significant and positive correlation existed between TP, SR, SV and S[Na+] values. Conclusion: These data indicate that an increase in sweat rate and volume produces a concomitant increase in thirst perception in women during moderate exercise, but sodium loss is reduced.

Clinical presentation of urinary tract infection (UTI) differs with aging in women

Uncomplicated UTI is among the most common health problems seen in general practice and typically affects immunocompetent, anatomically normal women. The aim of this study was to explore the difference in clinical presentation in acute, uncomplicated UTI in otherwise healthy community dwelling, premenopausal (Pre-M) and postmenopausal (Post-M) women. A UTI was defined as uropathogen of more than 103cfu/ml in midstream urine culture. Symptoms of UTI were divided to three: during voiding, local symptoms, and generalized symptoms. A total of 196 women aged a minimum of 45 years with diagnosis of UTI were studied. The patients were divided into two groups: Pre-M (n=102, mean age 48.14 years) and Post-M (n=94, mean age 69.21 years). The predominant complaints in Pre-M women were local symptoms. The clinical presentations showed more severity in the Post-M group than in Pre-M women, predominantly generalized unspecific symptoms and storage symptoms. Advanced age positively correlated with urgency of urination, painful voiding, urinary incontinence, sexual activity, low-back pain, lower abdominal pain and negatively correlated with frequency, painful and burning of urination and bladder pain. Our study showed that clinical presentation of UTI in Pre-M and Post-M women is different. The differences are presented not only by the voiding itself and by local symptoms but also by unspecified generalized symptoms that is especially important in elderly patients.

Menopause alters temperature sensitivity of muscle force in humans

Isometric maximum voluntary force (MVF) of the adductor pollicis and first dorsal interosseous muscles was measured in 11 pre- and 11 post-menopausal (Pre-M and Post-M) human subjects. The temperature of the hand varied in the range 18°-38°C by water immersion and skin temperature was recorded. MVF at each temperature was expressed relative to the value at skin temperature above 35°C to give MVF(REL). The form of the relation between MVF(REL) and temperature was different in the Pre-M and Post-M groups (p < 0.01). In the Pre-M group the maximum value of MVF(REL) occurred near 30°C and force fell at both higher and lower temperatures. In the Post-M group MVF(REL) showed an approximately linear decline with cooling across the whole temperature range. The maximum value of MVF(REL) for the Post-M group was near 35°C. The values of MVF(REL) for the Post-M group were significantly lower than for the Pre-M group at temperatures between 18° and 30°C.

Abstract P6-14-15: Impaired Nuclear Translocation of Estrogen Receptor Alfa Could Be Associated with the Antineoplastic Effect of Iodine in Premenopausal Breast Cancer

Abstract Several laboratories including ours have shown that iodine (I2) intake exhibits potent antiproliferative and apoptotic effects in vivo and in vitro models of mammary cancer. Molecular analysis of these effects indicates that antioxidant; cellular arrest and apoptotic pathways are involved. As the cellular mechanism that triggers these antineoplastic effects we have proposed that I2 could act in 2 possible ways, directly as antioxidant or indirectly by generating an iodinated arachidonic acid (6-iodoloctone) which exhibits apoptotic effects and is a specific ligand of proliferative peroxisome activated receptor gamma (PPARg). In previous preliminary reports, we corroborated an antiproliferative I2 effect (decreased PCNA) in premenopausal (pre-M) and an apoptotic action (triggering the Bax-Caspase pathway) in both pre-M and post menopausal (post-M) women with early stage breast cancer. In the present report we raise the casuistic and deeply in the analysis of mechanisms involved in this antineoplastic effect of I2. This study includes 22 women (average age 52.9 ± 12.6) diagnosed with early stage breast cancer (IIa and IIb). Patients were divided according to hormonal status into pre-M and post-M groups and were supplemented with I2 (5 mg daily) or placebo (vegetable dye) for2-5 weeks before surgery. Thyroid status (T3 and TSH; RIA) and iodine intake (urine, HPLC) were analyzed. In biopsies (beginning) and/or tumors (final), the level and location (cytosol or nuclear) of estrogen receptor alfa (ERα) and beta (ERb) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In tumors, we measured PPARg expression, invasive potential [hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by real time PCR] and fibrosis content (Masson's trichromic method). The results show that I2 supplementation in pre-M women is accompanied by a significant increase in the concentration of total ERα and PPARg and no change in total ERb; however, the fraction of ERα in the nucleus was significant lower, and the fibrosis content was higher (70%) than in the placebo group (40%). In contrast, I2 supplements significantly decreased HIF and VEGF expression in both pre-and post-M women. In conclusion, our data show that, in addition to the apoptotic and anti-invasive effects on mammary cancer exhibited by I2 that are independent of hormonal status, in pre-M women, I2 also acts to diminish the effects of estrogen (decreases nuclear translocation of ERα). Experiments that analyze the possible role of PPARg in these actions are in progress. We thank Dr. Jorge Alvarez-Aguirre2,3, Dr. Alonso Gallegos-Corona2, Lic. Concepción Correa-Tinajero3, Alejandro Nuñez-Nolasco2,3, Dra. Norma Uribe Uribe4, Jaime Ayala García4 and Dr. Dorothy Pless1. This work was supported by in part by PAPIIT-UNAM IN201210 and CONACyT 78955 and 85952. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-14-15.

Pesticide exposure of two age groups of women and its relationship with their diet

The widespread presence of organochlorine (OC) pesticides in human samples may be explained by the environmental exposure of the population. Foods are considered a constant source of exposure, despite compliance with maximum permitted residue levels. This study aimed to examine the relationship between nutritional habits of women in Southeast Spain and their serum concentrations of OCs. A semi-quantitative questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency of consumption of foods by two age groups of women, pre-menopausal (Pre-M) and post-menopausal (Post-M), and their serum pesticide levels were measured by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detector and confirmed by GC and mass spectrometry. The Pre-M group showed significantly higher serum concentrations of all OCs studied with the exception of DDE. The groups significantly differed in consumption of all food groups with the exception of fruit. In the Pre-M group, the mean serum p,p-DDT concentration was significantly associated with milk/yoghurt (p<0.045) and red meat (p<0.023), serum o,p-DDT with red meat (p<0.049), serum aldrin with eggs (p<0.038) and poultry (p<0.024), and serum DDE with eggs (p<0.025). In the Post-M group, serum lindane was associated with fresh and cured cheese (p<0.001), red meat (p<0.001) and white and oily fish (p<0.001), and both serum DDE and dieldrin were associated with fresh cheese, cured cheese, red meat, and white and oily fish (p<0.001). These results confirm foods as a source of human exposure to persistent organic molecules. Consideration should be given to the reduction of permitted residue levels to minimize this threat to human and animal health.

Cutoff Values of Intra-Abdominal Fat Area for the Prevention of Metabolic Disorders in Women

0087 Japan Society for the Study of Obesity has originally proposed a cutoff value for intra-abdominal fat area (IFA) as “visceral fat obesity” (IFA > = 100 cm2) for Japanese adults. However, there are no studies on the effects of menopause and weight reduction on the cutoff value. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine a new cutoff value of IFA for pre- and post-menopausal groups before and after they reduce weights. METHODS: One hundred and forty-nine pre-menopausal women (PreM group, 43.3 y, 27.3 kg/m2) and 58 post-menopausal women (PostM group, 53.9 y, 27.7 kg/m2) participated in a 14-wk weight reduction program (diet and exercise). IFA was measured by computed tomography. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was applied for the data of each group before and after the program in order to determine the cutoff value. RESULTS: The program induced significant reductions in body weight of 8.6 kg in PreM and 7.8 kg in PostM. The numbers of metabolic disorder (hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, or hypertension) were significantly decreased from 1.10 ± 1.13 to 0.50 ± 0.78 in PreM and from 1.64 ± 1.22 to 0.84 ± 0.91 in PostM. The ROC curve analyses revealed that the appropriate cutoff values were 80 cm2 in PreM and 110 cm2 in PostM before the weight reduction program, while the appropriate cutoff values after weight reduction were determined as 40 and 80 cm2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It would appear that the cutoff value (100 cm2) for metabolic disorder should be lower for those who were pre-menopausal or reduced their weights.

Menopause, coronary artery disease and antioxidants.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of menopause on the activity of primary intracellular antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) as well as on the level of total antioxidant status (TAS) in healthy women and women with coronary artery disease (CAD). We studied 140 women divided into two groups. The first group (controls) consisted of 99 healthy women aged between 18 and 55 years) classified into three subgroups: pre-menopausal women (Pre-M; n=48), peri-menopausal women (Peri-M; n=22) and post-menopausal women (Post-M; n=29). The second group consisted of 41 women with CAD aged between 48-68 years, classified into two subgroups: Peri-M (n=20) and Post-M (n=21). The activity of GPx and the level of TAS were significantly decreased in Peri-M (p<0.005) and Post-M groups (p<0.001) in comparison with the Pre-M group. SOD was decreased in Peri-M and Post-M groups compared with the Pre-M group, but this was statistically not significant. The activity of SOD and GPx as well as TAS were significantly decreased in the Post-M group compared with the Peri-M group with CAD (p<0.001). The activity of the antioxidant enzymes in Peri-M and Post-M groups was significantly decreased (p<0.02) in comparison with the control group. TAS was not changed in women with CAD in comparison with controls. In conclusion, menopause leads to the reduction of the level of antioxidants, especially in women with CAD.