Assistant Professor, Physiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru
*Corresponding autor: Dr. Suguna S, Department of Physiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, K. R. Road, Bengaluru- 560 002. Mobile: 08050033309. E mail: drsugunas@gmail.com
The metabolic changes accompanying menopauseare all established risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity. These factors are known to act in conjunction with each other, and inflammation is possibly a common mechanism which is responsible for atherogenesis. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) has been found by several workers to be a reliable marker of pro-inflammatory state and is also a predictor of cardiovascular risk. So CRP level estimation may add to predictive capacity in cardiovascular risk assessment. This study attempts to explore the physical and metabolic changes in post-menopausal women and to explore whether these parameters show significant correlation with CRP levels. If so, then CRP estimation can be used as a tool to assess cardiovascular risk in post-menopausal women.
45 Pre-menopausal and 45 Post-menopausal women were selected from general population of Bengaluru city. Anthropometric data was collected. Hb, Total Leucocyte count (TLC), Fasting blood sugar, Lipid profile, high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) were assayed in all the subjects and results compared statistically. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for CRP and the other parameters.
Post-menopausal women had significantly higher weight (p= 0.045), Hip circumference (p= 0.002), waist circumference (p = 0.005), BMI (p<0.05), TLC (p = 0.041). Also they were 5.09 times (p = 0.038) more likely to have elevated CRP levels compared to pre-menopausal women. FBS and lipid profile did not show significant difference in the two groups. In the post-menopause group, CRP showed significant positive correlation with BMI (p=0.045), WHR (p=0.016), LDL (p=0.017) and FBS (p=0.004); and significant negative correlation with HDL levels (p=0.024).
Post-menopausal women have tendency to gain weight and the obesity is of android type. CRP levels are significantly correlated with several parameters which are associated with cardiovascular risk. CRP estimation may prove to be a useful tool in identifying post-menopausal women who are at greater risk of CVD.
Pre-menopausal women, Post-menopausal women, Cardiovascular disease, BMI, Fasting Blood sugar, Lipid profile, C-Reactive protein, Inflammation
