Menopause is associated with the stiffness of the common carotid artery in 50-year-old women

• To determine if menopause has an effect on the elasticity of the arteries, the stiffness index of the common carotid artery was studied in 84 premenopausal and 139 post-menopausal women. The study group was age-homogeneous, all women being 50 years of age. There were no significant differences between pre- and post-menopausal women regarding atherosclerosis, when measured as the number of subjects with plaques or intimal-medial thickness. The diameter of the common carotid artery was significantly larger in post-menopausal women. The diameter was correlated to measurements of body size which did not, however, differ between the two groups. The mean stiffness indexes were 4.99 +/- 1.02 and 5.38 +/- 1.21 in the pre- and post-menopausal groups respectively (P < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, menopause (P < 0.05), and also serum insulin levels (P < 0.01) and smoking (P < 0.05) were found to have independent significant associations to the stiffness index. In conclusion, menopause is associated with reduced elasticity of the carotid arteries in 50-year-old women.

Nyckelord

arterial elasticity

atherosclerosis

insulin

smoking

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

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