[Cardiovascular risk factors in climacteric]

Ischemic heart disease is the second leading killer of women in Mexico, regardless of age group. The incidence of cardiovascular events increases after menopause, and depend on the prevalence and accumulation of risk factors.

To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a population of Mexican women who receive care in a menopause clinic.

Cross-sectional study included 308 women. Sociodemographic characteristics were collected, and background somatometric-family inherited cardiovascular risk factors, biochemical variables: blood glucose and lipid profile. Women were classified into two groups: pre-and postmenopause, the latter being subdivided according to time since menopause: less than three years and more than three years.

Two hundred six (66.7%) women had inherited a positive family history. We identified 123 (39.9%) in premenopausal, mean age 46.4 +/- 3.2 years and 185 (60.1%) postmenopausal with a mean age of 50.5 +/- 3.2. We found no differences in blood pressure and blood glucose somatometric features. The levels of total cholesterol (TC) and cholesterol of low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) were significantly higher in the group of postmenopausal women. It was noted that total cholesterol and triglycerides increased with age regardless of hormonal status. Hypercholesterolemia was detected in 41.5% of premenopausal patients and in 51.4% of postmenopausal women. More than half of the population studied had three or more cardiovascular risk factors.

There is a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican women present from pre-menopause. The major modifiable: sedentary lifestyle, dyslipidaemia and overweight.