THE INFLUENCE OF NATURAL AND SURGICAL MENOPAUSE ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK MARKERS FOLATE AND VITAMIN B12 LEVELS

HAKAN KIRAN, DENİZ CEMGİL ARIKAN, GÜRKAN KIRAN, AYHAN COŞKUN, SEMİH YANCAR, ABDULLAH TOK, HASAN ÇETİN EKERBİÇER

Gynecology Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine - 2011;17(2):90-99

Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

 

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of both natural and surgical menopause on serum concentrations of lipids, lipoprotein-a, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 levels. STUDY DESIGN: The study included 126 healthy women: 20 perimenopausal, 62 natural menopausal, and 44 surgical menopausal women. The serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein-a, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 levels were measured, and comparisons were made between the groups. RESULTS: The plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein-a, homocysteine and folate were non-significantly higher in natural menopause group compared to perimenopause group. Also plasma total cholesterol, lipoprotein-a, homocysteine, vitamin B12 levels were higher and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was lower in surgical menopause group compared to perimenopause group, the difference was not significant. The plasma level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly higher in natural menopausal women than perimenopausal women (p<0.05). Surgical menopausal women had higher but non-significant low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than perimenopausal women. There was a negative correlation between age and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in natural menopause group, and there was a positive correlation between age and homocysteine in natural and surgical menopausal groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: We did not find any significant difference in studied cardiovascular risk markers, folate and vitamin B12 levels in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women except low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.