Table 1.
Subject characteristics.
| Premenopausal | Perimenopausal | Postmenopausal | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 13 | 5 | 15 | |
| Age, years | 48.7 (45.5–50.0) | 53.4 (53.0–53.7) | 54.3 (51.7–56.9) | < 0.001 |
| Gynecological surgery | ||||
| Hysterectomy | 7 | 5 | 9 | |
| Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| Bilateral sapingo-oophorectomy | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Sex hormones | ||||
| E2, nmol/L | 0.31 (0.17–0.53) | 0.09a (0.09–0.09) | 0.09a (0.09–0.18) | 0.005 |
| FSH, IU/L | 6.7 (4.3–8.5) | 61.3a (53.3–71.8) | 62.6a (42.1–76.0) | < 0.001 |
| Body composition | ||||
| Body weight, kg | 68.6 (59.1–72.6) | 65.1 (60.2–70.0) | 70.1 (63.1–81.9) | 0.55 |
| Height, m | 1.71 (1.68–1.78) | 1.65 (1.62–1.71) | 1.68 (1.64–1.74) | 0.10 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 22.5 (20.1–24.6) | 23.9 (23.9–24.4) | 25.5 (22.1–27.6) | 0.13 |
| Lean body mass, kg | 42.1 (40.2–45.6) | 40.6 (37.4–41.7) | 39.5 (39.1–42.8) | 0.38 |
| Total fat mass, kg | 22.9 (15.7–23.3) | 24.4 (20.1–24.6) | 25.1 (22.5–38.6) | 0.12 |
| Body fat, % | 32 (27–33) | 35 (33–37) | 38a (35–47) | 0.02 |
| Trunk fat, kg | 9.5 (7.3–11.1) | 12.0 (8.9–21.9) | 12.9 (9.5–22.5) | 0.10 |
| Limb fat, kg | 10.8 (8.9–12.1) | 9.5 (7.1–14.1) | 12.3 (10.0–15.0) | 0.23 |
| Trunk:limb fat ratio, AU | 0.93 (0.76–1.12) | 1.34 (0.93–1.80) | 1.12 (1.01–1.25) | 0.07 |
| Abdominal SAT, cm2 | 160.4 (134.3–228.6) | 214.7 (163.9–227.5) | 248.2a (196.4–299.1) | < 0.05 |
| VAT mass, L | 0.35 (0.28–0.62) | 0.69 (0.40–1.91) | 1.21a (0.70–1.98) | 0.01 |
| Exercise capacity | ||||
| VO2 max, mL/min | 2160 (2026–2508) | 1862 (1700–2100) | 1615a (1434–2046) | 0.004 |
| VO2 max/lean body mass, mL/kg lean mass/min | 53.3 (51.2–58.0) | 45.9 (39.0–57.2) | 43.6a (36.7–49.1) | 0.02 |
| Physical activityb | ||||
| Total METs | 413 (342–516) | 351 (198–768) | 272 (192–335) | 0.29 |
| Energy intakeb | ||||
| Total intake, kJ | 1701 (1664–2003) | 1763 (1699–2066) | 1859 (1640–2261) | 0.95 |
| Carbohydrate, g | 178 (149–183) | 209 (153–247) | 223 (163–255) | 0.16 |
| Protein, g | 64 (59–84) | 69 (67–91) | 72 (66–77) | 0.67 |
| Fat, g | 76 (63–92) | 67 (54–104) | 75 (59–97) | 0.91 |
| Plasma lipids | ||||
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L | 4.8 (4.3–5.6) | 5.9 (5.3–6.0) | 5.6 (5.0–5.8) | 0.11 |
| HDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 1.7 (1.4–2.0) | 1.4 (1.3–2.1) | 1.5 (1.4–1.9) | 0.78 |
| LDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 2.6 (2.3–3.4) | 4.0 (3.7–4.0) | 3.7 (3.4–4.0) | 0.13 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L | 0.89 (0.80–0.95) | 1.16 (0.86–1.74) | 1.05 (0.78–1.36) | 0.13 |
| FFA, mmol/L | 0.47 (0.34–0.54) | 0.46 (0.30–0.63) | 0.49 (0.28–0.57) | 0.89 |
| Glycerol, mmol/L | 0.08 (0.05–0.09) | 0.12 (0.06–0.21) | 0.08 (0.06–0.10) | 0.09 |
| Glucose metabolism | ||||
| Fasting glucose, mmol/L | 4.7 (4.5–5.0) | 5.6 (5.3–5.9) | 5.0 (4.7–5.2) | 0.06 |
| Fasting insulin, pmol/L | 43 (26–58) | 80 (48–85) | 53 (44–68) | 0.27 |
| HbA1c, mmol/L | 5.7 (5.4–5.8) | 6.1a (5.8–6.8) | 6.1a (6.0–6.9) | 0.02 |
| Glucose AUC, AU | 737 (713–875) | 1094a (823–1273) | 1064a (815–1184) | 0.03 |
| Insulin AUC, AU | 34,076 (27,761–48,435) | 62,970a (47,801–83,752) | 53,43a (36,113–81,750) | 0.04 |
| Estimated insulin sensitivityc | 6.7 (4.9–11.3) | 2.7a (2.3–4.8) | 4.6a (2.7–6.5) | 0.02 |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range).
E2 estradiol, FSH follicle stimulating hormone, IU international units, AU arbitrary units, BMI body mass index, SAT subcutaneous adipose tissue, VAT Visceral adipose tissue, L liter, VO2 max maximum oxygen uptake, MET Metabolic equivalents, LDL low-density lipoprotein, HDL high-density lipoprotein, FFA free fatty acids, AUC area under the curve.
aSignificantly different from premenopausal, p < 0.05.
bSelf-reported.
cEstimated insulin sensitivity calculated through Composite Matsuda Index.