Secondary amenorrhea and lipid profile

The aim of this study was to evaluate the lipid profile in women with amenorrhea in reproductive age and to investigate possible impact of type of amenorrhea on lipid profile by comparing lipid profile in normogonadotropic and hypergonadotropic women with amenorrhea. This cross-sectional study included 23 amenorrheic and 12 eumenorrheic women under 40 years old. Each woman underwent the measurement of body mass index, serum levels of FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone, total cholesterol, HDL, VLDL, LDL, and triglycerides. According to FSH levels women with amenorrhea were divided in two groups: hypergonadotropic (FSH>25 IU/L) (n=9) and normogonadotropic (FSH>25 IU/L) (n=14). There were no differences in BMI, estradiol, progesterone, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides between amenorrheic and eumenorrheic women. Women with normogonadotropic amenorrhea had higher plasma concentrations of triglycerides (P=0.027) and VLDL (P=0.262) and lower levels of HDL (P=0.014) than women with hypergonadotropic amenorrhea. In hypergonadotropic women with amenorrhea was found positive correlation between progesterone and HDL (P=0.043). The normogonadotropic women with amenorrhea had higher levels of VLDL and triglycerides and lower levels of HDL than hypergonadotropic women with amenorrhea. These results suggest that the type of amenorrhea is important factor which may modify lipid profile in women with amenorrhea. The changes in lipid profile in normogonadotropic women with amenorrhea could be a risk for cardiovascular diseases.