MENOPAUSAL STAGE INFLUENCES LIPOPROTEIN SUBCLASS PROFILE IN HABITUALLY ACTIVE WOMEN
Authors: Witkowski Sarah , Serviente Corinna , Chalvin Melody 
Published: June 2021

Menopause is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, in part due to worsening cholesterol profile with advancing menopausal stage. The effect of menopausal stage on lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein particle size and number in active midlife women has not been evaluated.

PURPOSE

To evaluate differences in lipoprotein subclass concentrations between highly‐fit, habitually active women at distinct menopausal stages.

METHODS

Women (40–65 yr) were healthy habitually active highly‐fit pre‐, peri‐, and postmenopausal women (PRE, n = 10, VO2peak = 47.0 ± 2.4 ml/kg/min, PERI, n = 12, VO2peak = 49.1 ± 2.4 ml/kg/min, and POST, n = 13, VO2peak = 43.8 ± 1.8 ml/kg/min). Menopausal stage was defined using the STRAW+10 criteria. Particle subclass concentrations and mean particle sizes (were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (LabCorp). Calculated lipids (total triglyceride, total VLDL and chylomicron triglyceride, and total HDL cholesterol) were also analyzed. Blood samples for lipoprotein particle analysis were collected during days 1–6 of the menstrual cycle for PRE. ANOVAs with Holm‐Sidak post hoc testing were used to determine differences between groups for each lipid outcome. Nonparametric tests were employed if assumptions were not met. Data are presented as mean ± SEM.

RESULTS

There was a significant effect of menopause stage on total HDL cholesterol (p = 0.010) with greater HDL cholesterol in POST (88.5 ± 2.2 mg/dl) vs. PRE (72.2 ± 5.7 mg/dl, p = 0.032) and total HDL particle concentration (p = 0.010) with significantly greater total HDL particle concentration in POST (40.2 ± 1.1 μmol/L) compared with PRE (34.9 ± 1.5 μmol/L, p = 0.023) and POST compared with PERI (PERI, 35.5 ± 1.3 μmol/L, p = 0.033). There was a trend for an effect of menopausal status on large HDL particle concentration (p = 0.072) with progressively greater large HDL particle concentration with each advancing stage (PRE 12.1 ± 1.1 μmol/L, PERI, 14.0 ± 1.2 μmol/L, POST, 15.5 ± 0.6 μmol/L). There was no significant effect of menopausal stage on medium or small HDL particle concentration or HDL size (all p>0.05). There was an effect of menopausal stage on large LDL particle concentration (p = 0.039) with greater concentration of large LDL particles in PRE (479 ± 52.6 nmol/L) vs. POST (663 ± 47.5 nmol/L, p = 0.034) but no effect of menopausal stage on small LDL, IDL, or total LDL particle concentration, or LDL size (all p>0.05). There was no effect of menopausal status on any VLDL & chylomicron particle concentration or VLDL size (all p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

These data indicate that in healthy, highly fit women, advancing menopausal stage does not have a negative effect on many lipoprotein particle concentrations. Habitual physical activity may eliminate or potentially reverse some of the negative consequences of menopause on lipids.

Support or Funding Information

Funding Sources: American College of Sports Medicine Foundation Doctoral Student Research Grant (Serviente), National Institute on Aging Grant T32‐AG049676 (Pennsylvania State University), University of Massachusetts Amherst Provost's Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Chalvin).

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.