[Nutritional status and lipid profile of postmenopausal women with coronary heart disease]

To assess the nutritional status and lipid profile of postmenopausal women with coronary heart disease.

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with information obtained from the medical records of 217 women on the occasion of their first visit to the InCor Nutrition Outpatient Care Clinic. The data referred to the patients' nutritional status, body mass index, use of lipid-lowering medication, and serum lipid levels (cholesterol and fractions).

The mean age was 60.98 +/- 9.23 years, and obesity prevailed in 56% of the patients. The use of lipid-lowering drugs was observed in 73% of the population. In regard to lipid profile, 56% had adequate serum levels of HDL-C. The nutritional status was inadequate due to the prevalence of obesity, which results in the appearance of other chronic diseases, such as dyslipidemias. Although the dosages of the lipid-lowering drugs used were not assessed, their use by the population studied did not seem to be favorable, because high levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C were observed, and those high levels in that condition are strongly related to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.

Multidisciplinary action in the form of programs to promote women's health is required, comprising preventive aspects related to coronary heart disease, to improve the quality of life in that population.