Quality of life among postmenopausal Ecuadorian women participating in a metabolic syndrome screening program.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life decreases after the menopause as it has been assessed by several designed tools. Despite this, few studies have reported correlations between quality of life and the metabolic syndrome and its determinants. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate quality of life and determine factors related to its impairment among postmenopausal Ecuadorian women. METHODS: Postmenopausal women that participated in a metabolic syndrome screening and educational program at the Institute of Biomedicine of the Universidad Católica of Guayaquil, Ecuador were interviewed using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL). Mean domain scores as well as factors associated to higher scores within each of the domains of the questionnaire (vasomotor, psycho-social, physical and sexual) were determined. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-five postmenopausal women (n=325) were surveyed. Mean age of participants was 55.9+/-8.1 years (median: 54 years). Women presented metabolic syndrome, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and abdominal obesity in 41.5%, 38.8%, 16.6%, 56.9% and 54.2% respectively. Mean scores obtained for each domain were: vasomotor: 3.5+/-2.5 (median 3); psycho-social: 3.7+/-1.5 (median 3.6); physical: 3.8+/-1.2 (median 3.8); sexual: 4.9+/-2.3 (median 5.3). More than 50% of women had scores above the median for each domain of the questionnaire. Logistic regression determined that vasomotor score decreased with age. Abdominal obesity increased the risk of having vasomotor, psycho-social and physical scores above the median. Hypertension and hyperglycemia increased the risk for higher scores within the psycho-social and sexual domain respectively. CONCLUSION: In this postmenopausal Ecuadorian population, impairment of quality of life was found to be associated to age and related conditions such as abdominal obesity, hypertension and hyperglycemia.

The metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women in Ecuador.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increases with age and after the onset of menopause, and may explain in part the apparent acceleration of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and related risk determinants among postmenopausal women in Ecuador. METHODS: Postmenopausal women >or=40 years of age, non-users of hormone therapy and with an intact uterus, were asked to participate in a metabolic syndrome screening and educational program at the Institute of Biomedicine of the Universidad Católica of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Sociodemographic data, waist circumference and blood pressure measurements were recorded, and a fasting blood sample obtained for serum glucose and lipid profile determinations. Woman were counseled and managed according to the results. Metabolic syndrome was defined in accordance with the criteria of the Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III). RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty-five postmenopausal women entered the program. Mean (+/-standard deviation) age was 55.9 +/- 8.1 years, 53.5% of them were aged >or=54 years (median). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, according to ATP III criteria, was 41.5%. Using the same criteria, 38.8%, 16.6%, 56.9% and 54.2% of the women presented with hypertension, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia and abdominal obesity, respectively. More than 40% of women determined to have hypertension or diabetes lacked knowing so. Logistic regression analysis determined that age increased the risk of presenting hypertension and diabetes (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.0 (1.2-3.2) and 1.6 (0.9-3.0), respectively, p < 0.05), entities which in turn duplicated the risk of having high triglyceride levels. Sedentary women with <5 years since menopause onset were at higher risk of having abdominal obesity, which was directly related to diabetes and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: In this postmenopausal Ecuadorian population the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was high and its determinant factors related to age, time since menopause onset and sedentary habits. Because of the implications for cardiovascular risk, counseling programs directed toward high-risk populations should be encouraged.