Serum lipids, arterial blood pressure and body weight in relation to the menopause: results from a population study of women in Goteborg, Sweden

Abstract

Statistically significant differences were found between premenopausal and post-menopausal 50-year-old women for serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, systolic blood pressure and body weight. Serum cholesterol and serum triglycerides were higher in postmenopausal women, while systolic blood pressure and body weight were higher in premenopausal women. When similar comparisons were performed between premenopausal and postmenopausal women in the other age strata studied, the differences were usually not statistically significant. In women of the same age, serum cholesterol was found to increase and systolic blood pressure to decrease with increasing postmenopausal time. Similarly, in women of the same age serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels were found to be lower in women who were to go on menstruating for another couple of years compared to women who were to have their menopause within the next few years.

Key Words:

• arterial blood pressure
• body weight
• ischaemic heart disease
• menopause
• population study
• serum lipids
• women