Keywords
Menopause
Obesity
Women
Blood glucose
Dyslipidemias
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and identify the associated factors in postmenopausal women.
Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 627 women aged 40 years or older, diagnosed with menopause and not using hormone therapy, residing in the department of Quindío (Colombia) between 2013 and 2023, were included. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, and measures of association were estimated using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results: The study included 627 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 57 ± 8.64 years and a mean age at menopause onset of 49 ± 3.52 years. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 74.16% (95% CI: 70.73–77.59). Metabolic syndrome was strongly associated with obesity (adjusted OR [ORa]: 9.00; 95% CI: 5.00–16.00), a history of gestational diabetes (ORa: 5.50; 95% CI: 2.50–12.00), and alcohol consumption (ORa: 4.50; 95% CI: 2.80–7.20). In contrast, a higher educational level (ORa: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25–0.82) and adherence to a healthy diet (ORa: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.40–0.90) were inversely associated with metabolic syndrome.
Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome was highly prevalent among postmenopausal women. Key associated factors included alcohol consumption, smoking, and a history of gestational diabetes, while a higher educational attainment and adherence to a healthy diet were inversely associated. These results underscore the importance of implementing comprehensive cardiovascular prevention strategies for this population. Nevertheless, further analytical studies are needed to clarify causal relationships and inform targeted interventions.
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