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Influence of gender and menopausal status on peripheral and choroidal circulation
Dimitra Kavroulaki1, Konstantin Gugleta, Asan Kochkorov
1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
Insights
Menopausal status significantly impacts women's blood flow, unlike aging in men. This study used laser Doppler flowmetry to assess peripheral and ocular circulation in healthy participants, revealing gender-specific effects of aging on circulation.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Gerontology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Age-related changes in circulation are well-documented.
- The influence of menopausal status on vascular function requires further investigation.
- Understanding gender-specific circulatory changes is crucial for health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess how menopausal status and age affect peripheral and ocular blood flow.
- To compare these effects between genders using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF).
Main Methods:
- Recruited 53 healthy participants (26 men, 27 women) into two age groups.
- Measured choroidal blood flow and fingertip peripheral circulation using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF).
- Employed independent t-tests and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in finger and choroidal blood flow were observed between younger and older women (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03).
- No significant differences were found in men (p = 0.85 and p = 0.56).
- ANOVA revealed significant interactions between age group and gender for both finger (p = 0.012) and choroidal (p = 0.049) blood flow, indicating age-related gender differences.
Conclusions:
- Menopausal status significantly influences women's peripheral and ocular blood flow.
- Aging affects blood flow differently in men and women, with significant gender-specific changes observed.
Purpose:
To evaluate the influence of menopausal status and age on peripheral and ocular circulation assessed by means of continuous laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF).
Methods:
Fifty-three healthy participants were recruited randomly. Twenty-six men and 27 women were divided into two age groups. Choroidal blood flow was measured by LDF and peripheral circulation was measured at the fingertips (digit IV) using the Perimed PeriFlux (Järfälla, Sweden) laser Doppler System 5000. Independent t-test and two-way analysis of variance (anova) were performed.
Results:
Group distribution was: male/female = 14/16 for the younger group and 12/11 for the older group. Average age across groups was 31.3 ± 6.8/28.4 ± 7.0 years and 66.3 ± 8.3/61.5 ± 3.6 years, respectively. Finger and choroidal LDF flow values were significantly different between the two female age groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). In men this was not the case (p = 0.85 and p = 0.56, respectively). anova interaction p-value for the factors 'age group' and 'gender' for finger LDF flow was p = 0.012, and for choroidal LDF flow p = 0.049, demonstrating significant gender differences with ageing.
Conclusion:
Menopausal status in women has significant influence on both choroidal and peripheral blood flow; the opposite behaviour occurs with ageing.
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