1. Menopause is an independent factor augmenting the age-related increase in arterial stiffness in the early postmenopausal phase.
- Author
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Zaydun G, Tomiyama H, Hashimoto H, Arai T, Koji Y, Yambe M, Motobe K, Hori S, and Yamashina A
- Subjects
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Atherosclerosis epidemiology, Atherosclerosis physiopathology, Blood Pressure, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Hypertension epidemiology, Hypertension physiopathology, Incidence, Mass Screening, Middle Aged, Plethysmography, Postmenopause physiology, Risk Factors, Tokyo epidemiology, Blood Flow Velocity physiology, Brachial Artery physiology, Menopause physiology, Vascular Resistance physiology
- Abstract
The present study examined whether the menopause augments the age-related increase in brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (PWV). In total, 3149 women (ranging in age from 21 to 94 years) undergoing an annual health screening examination were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Conventional atherosclerotic risk factors were examined, and the brachial-ankle PWV of each subject was determined. The relationship between age and the brachial-ankle PWV assumed the form of a quadratic curve, and the slope of the curve was relatively steeper after the menopause (brachial-ankle PWV = 0.17 x age2 - 0.58 x age + 812) than before (brachial-ankle PWV = 0.23 x age2 - 8.92 x age + 1058). A logistic regression analysis conducted for subjects between the ages of 45 and 56 years (mean age of menopause +/- 2 standard deviations) demonstrated that women who had experienced the menopause at least 6 years previously demonstrated a significant risk of belonging to the highest PWV tertile {adjusted odds ratio: 2.08 (95% confidential interval: 1.04-4.17)}, independent of age and other atherosclerotic risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking). Thus, this study suggested that the menopause augments the age-related increase in arterial stiffness during the early postmenopausal phase and that this augmentation is probably related, at least in part, to estrogen deficiency. The contribution of this menopause-related increase in arterial stiffness to the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women should be further evaluated.
- Published
- 2006
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