Menopause Tied to Proatherogenic Changes in Circulating Metabolites

FRIDAY, May 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Menopause is associated with proatherogenic circulating metabolome alterations, according to a study published online May 12 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Jari E. Karppinen, from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, and colleagues analyzed longitudinal data from 218 Finnish women, of whom 35 started menopausal hormone therapy during the study. Participants were followed for a median of 14 months. Menstrual diaries and serum hormone measurements were used to measure the menopausal transition. Targeted nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics were used to quantify serum metabolites.

The researchers found that menopause was associated with 85 metabolite measures. Increases were seen in the concentration of apolipoprotein B, very-low-density lipoprotein triglycerides and particles, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and particles, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) triglycerides, glycerol, and leucine. Decreases were seen in concentrations of citrate and 3-hydroxybutyrate. Most metabolite changes were associated with the hormonal shift of menopause; this explained 11 and 9 percent of the increase in LDL cholesterol and particle concentration, respectively. Increased medium-to-large HDL particle count and decreased small-to-medium LDL particle and glycine concentration were seen in association with menopausal hormone therapy.

"Menopause-induced hormonal shift is associated with a proatherogenic metabolomic fingerprint," the authors write. "These findings broadly agree with earlier metabolomics studies on menopause, and now connect the previous and present observations to the female sex hormone levels."

Abstract/Full Text