Abstract

Background: The climacteric phase implies metabolic and hormonal changes that might lead to adverse effects, such as dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risks.

Objective: Determine  factors  associated  with  the  prevalence  of  dyslipidemia  among  climacteric women treated in a reference clinic in southern Brazil.

Method:  Cross-sectional  study  with  550  women  aged  40–65  years  treated  in  a  clinic  specialized  in  climacteric  therapies  and  gynecologic  surgeries.  A  precoded  and  pretested  standardized  survey  with  questions  about  socioeconomic,  demographic,  behavioral  and  reproductive features was applied. Laboratory tests needed to define lipid profiles were the analysis of HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Multivariate analysis (p<0.05) was used in the evaluation of data.

Results:  550  climacteric  women  were  evaluated.  Elevated  prevalence  of  dyslipidemia  (83.8%)  was  found.  The  group  presenting  the  largest  number  of  dyslipidemic  women  was the group aged 56–65 years (92.5%). There was no significant association between the  occurrence  of  dyslipidemia  and  menopausal  state.  Multivariate  analysis  revealed  that  dyslipidemias were 11% more prevalent in women aged 56–65 years (RP 1.11; CI95% 1.01 to 1.21 p=0.03) and 16% more frequent among women with three or more gestational periods (p=0.04). The prevalence of dyslipidemia was also higher among obese women than among the eutrophic ones, however, the significance level remained in a boundary zone (PR 1.12; CI95% 1.00 to 1.26 p=0.06).

Conclusion: A higher prevalence of dyslipidemia was found among women with multiple pregnancies,  something  that  may  be  linked  to  hormonal  and  metabolic  issues,  as  well  as  dietary  issues  during  pregnancy.  The  menopausal  state  was  not  associated  with  the  occurrence  of  dyslipidemia  in  this  study.  Possibly,  the  aging  process  and  its  metabolic  changes—more  than  the  menopausal  state  itself—  is  the  main  factor  associated  with  dyslipidemia during the climacteric years.

Keywords

climacteric, menopause, dyslipidemia, women, prevalence, cardiovascular