Table 1. Baseline characteristics of participants.
| Variable | Premenopausal (n = 24) | Early perimenopausal (n = 21) | Late perimenopausal (n = 21) | Postmenopausal (n = 31) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 33 (7) | 49 (3) | 50 (4) | 57 (5) | <0.001 |
| Body mass, kg | 66.4 (15.0) | 68.8 (10.6) | 66.9 (13.3) | 73.3 (14.1) | 0.09 |
| Height, cm | 166 (6) | 164 (6) | 167 (9) | 163 (7) | 0.31 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.2 (5.6) | 25.5 (3.5) | 24.1 (4.3) | 27.6 (5.2) | 0.13 |
| Total body fat, % | 31 (7) | 34 (6) | 36 (7) | 40 (5) | <0.001 |
| Trunk fat, % | 29 (9) | 33 (6) | 34 (8) | 38 (6) | <0.001 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 77 (8) | 83 (10) | 82 (13) | 88 (13) | 0.07 |
| WHR | 0.77 (0.07) | 0.80 (0.06) | 0.80 (0.06) | 0.83 (0.06) | 0.24 |
| VO2max, mL/kg/min | 33.6 (7.3) | 27.4 (4.5) | 27.5 (5.4) | 23.6 (3.8) | <0.001 |
| LTPA, MET h/wk | 17.3 (11.5) | 18.6 (12.4) | 14.6 (11.8) | 14.6 (17.7) | 0.86 |
| Seated SBP, mm Hg | 109 (8) | 113 (11) | 116 (13) | 119 (14) | 0.06 |
| Seated DBP, mm Hg | 70 (6) | 73 (7) | 72 (8) | 74 (9) | 0.36 |
| Resting HR, beats/min | 67 (12) | 62 (7) | 64 (10) | 64 (7) | 0.39 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L | 3.9 (0.8) | 4.2 (0.7) | 4.4 (0.8) | 4.9 (0.8) | <0.001 |
| LDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 2.3 (0.6) | 2.5 (0.7) | 2.6 (0.8) | 3.1 (0.8) | 0.002 |
| HDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 1.1 (0.2) | 1.3 (0.4) | 1.3 (0.2) | 1.2 (0.3) | 0.19 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/La | 0.8 (0.6-0.9) | 0.9 (0.7-1.2) | 0.9 (0.9-1.2) | 1.1 (0.8-1.5) | 0.04 |
| Fasting insulin, pmol/La | 42 (21-57) | 28 (21-56) | 28 (21-28) | 35 (28-83) | 0.48 |
| Fasting glucose, mmol/L | 4.6 (0.6) | 4.7 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.4) | 4.9 (0.6) | 0.10 |
| FSH, IU/L | 5.5 (2.9) | 22.5 (32.0) | 70.8 (35.8) | 84.2 (32.9) | <0.001 |
| Estradiol, pmol/La | 231 (114-338) | 198 (128-503) | 143 (37-433) | 37 (37-48) | <0.001 |
| Progesterone, nmol/La | 1.9 (1.0-2.9) | 1.9 (1.0-3.3) | 1.0 (1.0-1.7) | 1.0 (0.3-1.3) | 0.002 |
| Estrone, pmol/L | 218 (99) | 222 (138) | 190 (100) | 109 (40) | <0.001 |
| SHBG, nmol/L | 60 (28) | 84 (56) | 73 (39) | 60 (31) | 0.36 |
| Testosterone, nmol/La | 1.0 (1.0-1.6) | 0.8 (0.6-1.2) | 0.7 (0.6-0.9) | 0.6 (0.6-1.0) | 0.004 |
| DHEAS, nmol/L | 384 (165) | 222 (116) | 177 (85) | 163 (85) | <0.001 |
| Carotid IMT, mm | 0.509 (0.083) | 0.591 (0.081) | 0.588 (0.070) | 0.651 (0.099) | <0.001 |
Data are presented as mean (SD), unless otherwise stated.
BMI, body mass index; WHR, waist-to-hip ratio; VO2max, maximal aerobic power; LTPA, leisure time physical activity; MET, metabolic equivalent of task; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HR, heart rate; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; SHBG, sex hormone–binding globulin; DHEAS, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; IMT, intima-media thickness.
a
Data are presented as median (interquartile range).