Atherogenic Indices and Cardiovascular Risk in Post-Menopausal Women: A Comparative Study of Natural Versus Surgical...

Menopause is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to changes in lipid metabolism. The study objective is to compare lipid profile, atherogenic indices, and cardiovascular risk in women with surgical versus natural menopause, and to assess their correlation with Framingham Risk Score (FRS).

This observational study included 120 postmenopausal women aged 40-65 years (natural menopause, n=98; surgical menopause, n=22). Demographic and anthropometric data, as well as blood samples, were collected. Lipid profile, atherogenic indices, and FRS were calculated and compared between groups using appropriate statistical analyses.

Atherogenic indices were elevated in the surgical menopause group(p=0.000) versus those with natural menopause. FRS analysis showed 50% of surgical menopause cases had high cardiovascular risk (>20%) compared to 7.2% in natural menopause. Positive correlations existed between FRS and lipid parameters, including total cholesterol (r = 0.513, p < 0.000), non-HDL cholesterol (r = 0.569, p < 0.000), triglycerides (r = 0.235, p = 0.010), CRI I (r = 0.661, p < 0.001), CRI II (r = 0.319, p < 0.001), and AC (r = 0.381, p < 0.001).

Surgical menopause is linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk compared to natural menopause. The strong correlation of lipid ratios with FRS in the present study reinforces their potential utility as practical adjuncts to established risk prediction tools. These findings highlight the importance of menopause type in CVD risk assessment and the need for monitoring women undergoing surgical menopause.