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Menopozun kardiyovasküler risk üzerindeki etkisi

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 6, 647 - 654, 27.12.2025

Abstract

Arka Plan:
Menopoz sonrası dönemde kardiyovasküler hastalık (KVH) riski, hormonal değişikliklere bağlı olarak gelişen abdominal obezite, dislipidemi ve düşük düzeyli inflamasyon nedeniyle anlamlı şekilde artmaktadır. Yüksek duyarlıklı C-reaktif protein (hsCRP), subklinik inflamasyonun iyi tanımlanmış bir biyobelirteci olmakla birlikte, menopozdaki kadınlarda antropometrik ve biyokimyasal parametrelerle ilişkisi tam olarak açıklığa kavuşmamıştır.

Amaç:
Menopozdaki kadınlarda hsCRP düzeylerine göre tanımlanan alt gruplar arasında kardiyovasküler riski değerlendirmek ve subklinik inflamasyonun temel antropometrik ve biyokimyasal belirleyicilerini tanımlamak.

Yöntem:
Bu kesitsel çalışma, bilinen KVH’si olmayan 117 kadını içermektedir. Katılımcılar hsCRP düzeylerine göre üç gruba ayrılmıştır: düşük (<1 mg/L), orta (1–3 mg/L) ve yüksek (>3 mg/L). Antropometrik ve biyokimyasal parametreler — VKİ, bel çevresi, lipid profili, karaciğer enzimleri (ALT, AST, GGT), ürik asit, glukoz ve HbA1c — alt gruplar arasında karşılaştırılmıştır. hsCRP düzeyini belirleyen değişkenleri saptamak için Spearman korelasyon ve çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizleri uygulanmıştır.

Bulgular:
Yüksek hsCRP düzeyine sahip kadınlar, anlamlı derecede daha yüksek bel çevresi ve VKİ değerleri göstermiştir; inflamasyonla en güçlü ilişki abdominal obeziteyle bulunmuştur. GGT aktivitesi orta ve yüksek risk gruplarında anlamlı olarak artarken, ürik asit düzeyleri hsCRP ile birlikte yükselme eğilimi göstermiş ve yüksek risk grubunda referans aralığının üst sınırına yaklaşmıştır. Lipid profili analizinde yüksek hsCRP düzeyine sahip kadınlarda daha düşük HDL, daha yüksek trigliserid, artmış TG/HDL oranı ve yükselmiş non-HDL kolesterol düzeyleri saptanmıştır. Çoklu regresyon analizinde menopoz sonrası kadınlarda bel çevresi, yaş ve LDL-kolesterol hsCRP’nin bağımsız belirleyicileri olarak tanımlanmıştır (düzeltilmiş R² = 0.252).

Sonuç:
Menopoz dönemindeki kadınlarda bel çevresi, subklinik inflamasyonun VKİ’den daha güçlü bir göstergesidir. Santral obezite, karaciğer enzim aktivitesi (GGT) ve lipid değişikliklerinin birleşimi, bu popülasyonda kardiyovasküler riskin çok boyutlu doğasını yansıtmaktadır. Bel çevresi ve hsCRP gibi inflamatuvar biyobelirteçlerin rutin olarak ölçülmesi, menopoz sonrası kadınlarda kardiyovasküler riskin erken tespitini kolaylaştırabilir ve hedefe yönelik koruyucu stratejilere katkı sağlayabilir.

References

  • El Khoudary SR, Aggarwal B, Beckie TM, et al. Menopause transition and cardiovascular disease risk: implications for timing of early prevention: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020;142:E506-532. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000912
  • Kottilil S, Mathur P. The influence of inflammation on cardiovascular disease in women. Front Glob Women’s Heal. 2022;3:979708. doi:10.3389/fgwh.2022.979708
  • Song DK, Hong YS, Sung YA, Lee H. The effect of menopause on cardiovascular risk factors according to body-mass index in middle-aged Korean women. PLoS One. 2023;18(3):e0283393. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0283393
  • Klisic A, Ahmad R, Daka B, Sindhu S. Editorial: Cardiometabolic diseases in postmenopausal women. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024; 15:1514913. doi:10.3389/fendo.2024.1514913
  • Samargandy S, Matthews KA, Brooks MM, et al. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue over the menopause transition and carotid atherosclerosis: the SWAN heart study. Menopause. 2021;28(6):626-633. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000001755
  • Klisic A, Kotur-Stevuljevic J, Patoulias D NA. Serum endocan levels in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2023;21(10):561-566. doi:10.1089/met.2023.0119
  • Klisic A, Cojic M, Patoulias D, Ninic A. Multimarker approach as more reliable method than single vitamin D in relationship with type 2 diabetes mellitus in montenegrin postmenopausal women. Biomedicines. 2023;11(10):2610. doi:10.3390/biomedicines11102610
  • Ebong IA, Schreiner P, Lewis CE, Appiah D, Ghelani AWM. The association between high sensitivity C-reactive protein and hypertension in women of the CARDIA study. Menopause. 2016;23(6):662-668. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000609
  • Ridker PM, Hennekens CH, Rifai N, Buring JE, Manson JAE. Hormone replacement therapy and increased plasma concentration of C- reactive protein. Circulation. 1999;100(7):713-716. doi:10.1161/01.cir.100.7.713
  • Koenig W, Sund M, Fröhlich M, et al. C-reactive protein, a sensitive marker of inflammation, predicts future risk of coronary heart disease in initially healthy middle-aged men: results from the MONICA (monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease) Augsburg cohort study, 1984. Circulation. 1999;99(2):237-242. doi:10. 1161/01.cir.99.2.237
  • Kim JG, Chang K, Choo EH, Lee JM, Seung KB. Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase is a predictor of mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(29):e11393. doi:10.1097/MD. 0000000000011393
  • Duran M, Günebakmaz Ö, Uysal OK, et al. Increased gamma-glutamyl transferase level is associated with absence of coronary collateral vessels in patients with acute coronary syndrome: an observational study. Anadolu Kardiyol Derg. 2012;12:652-658. doi:10.5152/akd.2012.217
  • Strasak AM, Kelleher CC, Klenk J, et al. Longitudinal change in serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and cardiovascular disease mortality: a prospective population-based study in 76 113 Austrian adults. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008;28(10):1857-1865. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.108.170597
  • Ruttmann E, Brant LJ, Concin H, Diem G, Rapp K, Ulmer H. γ-glutamyltransferase as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality: an epidemiological investigation in a cohort of 163 944 Austrian adults. Circulation. 2005;112(14):2130-2137. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.552547
  • Onat A, Can G, Örnek E, Çiçek G, Ayhan E, Doan Y. Serum γ-glutamyltransferase: independent predictor of risk of diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and coronary disease. Obesity. 2012;20(4):842-848. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.136
  • Carter AE, Merriam S. Menopause. Med Clin North Am. 2023;107(2):199-212. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2022.10.003
  • Opoku AA, Abushama M, Konje JC. Obesity and menopause. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;88:102348. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2023. 102348
  • Inker LA, Eneanya ND, Coresh J, et al. New creatinine- and cystatin C–based equations to estimate GFR without race. N Engl J Med. 2021; 385(19):1737-1749. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2102953
  • Bassuk SS, Rifai N, Ridker PM. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: clinical importance. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2004;29(8):439-493. doi:10. 1016/j.cpcardiol.2004.03.004
  • Cesaro A, De Michele G, Fimiani F, et al. Visceral adipose tissue and residual cardiovascular risk: a pathological link and new therapeutic options. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1187735. doi:10.3389/fcvm. 2023.1187735
  • Lo J, Dolan SE, Kanter JR, et al. Effects of obesity, body composition, and adiponectin on carotid intima-media thickness in healthy women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(5):1677-1682. doi:10.1210/jc.2005-2775
  • Powell-Wiley TM, Poirier P, Burke LE, et al. Obesity and cardiovascular disease a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;143(21):e984-e1010. doi:10.1161/CIR. 0000000000000973
  • Darbandi M, Pasdar Y, Moradi S, Jan Mohamed HJ, Hamzeh B, Salimi Y. Discriminatory capacity of anthropometric indices for cardiovascular disease in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17:1-11. doi:10.5888/pcd17.200112
  • Suwała S, Junik R. Body mass index and waist circumference as predictors of above-average increased cardiovascular risk assessed by the SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP calculators and the proposition of new optimal cut-off values: cross-sectional single-center study. J Clin Med. 2024;13(7):1931. doi:10.3390/jcm13071931
  • Ross R, Neeland IJ, Yamashita S, et al. Waist circumference as a vital sign in clinical practice: a Consensus Statement from the IAS and ICCR Working Group on Visceral Obesity. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2020;16(3):177-189. doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0310-7
  • Mercantepe F, Baydur Sahin S, Cumhur Cure M, Karadag Z. Relationship between serum endocan levels and other predictors of endothelial dysfunction in obese women. Angiology. 2023;74(10):948-957. doi:10.1177/00033197221129358
  • Klisic A, Kotur-Stevuljevic J, Gluscevic S, Sahin SB, Mercantepe F. Biochemical markers and carotid intima-media thickness in relation to cardiovascular risk in young women. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):24776. doi:10. 1038/s41598-024-75409-x
  • Klisic A, Kavaric N, Vujcic S. Total oxidant status and oxidative stress index as indicators of increased Reynolds risk score in postmenopausal women. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2020;24(19):10126-10133. doi:10. 26355/eurrev_202010_23232
  • Armstrong A, Jungbluth Rodriguez K, Sabag A, et al. Effect of aerobic exercise on waist circumference in adults with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2022;23:1-17. doi:10. 1111/obr.13446

Associations of hsCRP, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters with cardiovascular risk in menopause status: a cross-sectional study

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 6, 647 - 654, 27.12.2025

Abstract

Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk increases significantly after menopause, partly due to hormonal changes leading to abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and low-grade inflammation. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a well-established biomarker of subclinical inflammation, yet its associations with anthropometric and biochemical parameters in menopausal women remain incompletely defined. To evaluate cardiovascular risk across hsCRP-based subgroups in menopausal women and identify the key anthropometric and biochemical predictors of subclinical inflammation.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 117 women without established CVD. Participants were classified into three groups according to hsCRP levels: low (<1 mg/L), moderate (1–3 mg/L), and high (>3 mg/L). Clinical and biochemical parameters, including BMI, waist circumference, lipid profile, liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT), uric acid, glucose, and HbA1c, were compared across subgroups. Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify determinants of hsCRP concentration.
Results: Women with higher hsCRP levels exhibited significantly greater waist circumference and BMI, with abdominal obesity showing the strongest association with inflammation. GGT activity was significantly higher in moderate and high-risk groups, while uric acid concentrations tended to increase with hsCRP, approaching the upper reference limit in the high-risk group. Lipid profile analysis revealed lower HDL, higher triglycerides, elevated TG/HDL ratios, and increased non-HDL cholesterol in women with high hsCRP levels. Multiple regression analysis identified waist circumference, age, and LDL-cholesterol as independent predictors of hsCRP in postmenopausal women (adjusted R²=0.252).
Conclusion: Waist circumference showed the strongest association with hsCRP among postmenopausal women. The combination of central obesity, hepatic enzyme activity, and lipid alterations reflects the multidimensional nature of cardiovascular risk in this population. Routine measurement of waist circumference and inflammatory biomarkers such as hsCRP could enhance early detection of cardiovascular risk, supporting targeted prevention strategies in postmenopausal women.

References

  • El Khoudary SR, Aggarwal B, Beckie TM, et al. Menopause transition and cardiovascular disease risk: implications for timing of early prevention: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020;142:E506-532. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000912
  • Kottilil S, Mathur P. The influence of inflammation on cardiovascular disease in women. Front Glob Women’s Heal. 2022;3:979708. doi:10.3389/fgwh.2022.979708
  • Song DK, Hong YS, Sung YA, Lee H. The effect of menopause on cardiovascular risk factors according to body-mass index in middle-aged Korean women. PLoS One. 2023;18(3):e0283393. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0283393
  • Klisic A, Ahmad R, Daka B, Sindhu S. Editorial: Cardiometabolic diseases in postmenopausal women. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024; 15:1514913. doi:10.3389/fendo.2024.1514913
  • Samargandy S, Matthews KA, Brooks MM, et al. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue over the menopause transition and carotid atherosclerosis: the SWAN heart study. Menopause. 2021;28(6):626-633. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000001755
  • Klisic A, Kotur-Stevuljevic J, Patoulias D NA. Serum endocan levels in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2023;21(10):561-566. doi:10.1089/met.2023.0119
  • Klisic A, Cojic M, Patoulias D, Ninic A. Multimarker approach as more reliable method than single vitamin D in relationship with type 2 diabetes mellitus in montenegrin postmenopausal women. Biomedicines. 2023;11(10):2610. doi:10.3390/biomedicines11102610
  • Ebong IA, Schreiner P, Lewis CE, Appiah D, Ghelani AWM. The association between high sensitivity C-reactive protein and hypertension in women of the CARDIA study. Menopause. 2016;23(6):662-668. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000609
  • Ridker PM, Hennekens CH, Rifai N, Buring JE, Manson JAE. Hormone replacement therapy and increased plasma concentration of C- reactive protein. Circulation. 1999;100(7):713-716. doi:10.1161/01.cir.100.7.713
  • Koenig W, Sund M, Fröhlich M, et al. C-reactive protein, a sensitive marker of inflammation, predicts future risk of coronary heart disease in initially healthy middle-aged men: results from the MONICA (monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease) Augsburg cohort study, 1984. Circulation. 1999;99(2):237-242. doi:10. 1161/01.cir.99.2.237
  • Kim JG, Chang K, Choo EH, Lee JM, Seung KB. Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase is a predictor of mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(29):e11393. doi:10.1097/MD. 0000000000011393
  • Duran M, Günebakmaz Ö, Uysal OK, et al. Increased gamma-glutamyl transferase level is associated with absence of coronary collateral vessels in patients with acute coronary syndrome: an observational study. Anadolu Kardiyol Derg. 2012;12:652-658. doi:10.5152/akd.2012.217
  • Strasak AM, Kelleher CC, Klenk J, et al. Longitudinal change in serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and cardiovascular disease mortality: a prospective population-based study in 76 113 Austrian adults. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008;28(10):1857-1865. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.108.170597
  • Ruttmann E, Brant LJ, Concin H, Diem G, Rapp K, Ulmer H. γ-glutamyltransferase as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality: an epidemiological investigation in a cohort of 163 944 Austrian adults. Circulation. 2005;112(14):2130-2137. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.552547
  • Onat A, Can G, Örnek E, Çiçek G, Ayhan E, Doan Y. Serum γ-glutamyltransferase: independent predictor of risk of diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and coronary disease. Obesity. 2012;20(4):842-848. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.136
  • Carter AE, Merriam S. Menopause. Med Clin North Am. 2023;107(2):199-212. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2022.10.003
  • Opoku AA, Abushama M, Konje JC. Obesity and menopause. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;88:102348. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2023. 102348
  • Inker LA, Eneanya ND, Coresh J, et al. New creatinine- and cystatin C–based equations to estimate GFR without race. N Engl J Med. 2021; 385(19):1737-1749. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2102953
  • Bassuk SS, Rifai N, Ridker PM. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: clinical importance. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2004;29(8):439-493. doi:10. 1016/j.cpcardiol.2004.03.004
  • Cesaro A, De Michele G, Fimiani F, et al. Visceral adipose tissue and residual cardiovascular risk: a pathological link and new therapeutic options. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1187735. doi:10.3389/fcvm. 2023.1187735
  • Lo J, Dolan SE, Kanter JR, et al. Effects of obesity, body composition, and adiponectin on carotid intima-media thickness in healthy women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(5):1677-1682. doi:10.1210/jc.2005-2775
  • Powell-Wiley TM, Poirier P, Burke LE, et al. Obesity and cardiovascular disease a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;143(21):e984-e1010. doi:10.1161/CIR. 0000000000000973
  • Darbandi M, Pasdar Y, Moradi S, Jan Mohamed HJ, Hamzeh B, Salimi Y. Discriminatory capacity of anthropometric indices for cardiovascular disease in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17:1-11. doi:10.5888/pcd17.200112
  • Suwała S, Junik R. Body mass index and waist circumference as predictors of above-average increased cardiovascular risk assessed by the SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP calculators and the proposition of new optimal cut-off values: cross-sectional single-center study. J Clin Med. 2024;13(7):1931. doi:10.3390/jcm13071931
  • Ross R, Neeland IJ, Yamashita S, et al. Waist circumference as a vital sign in clinical practice: a Consensus Statement from the IAS and ICCR Working Group on Visceral Obesity. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2020;16(3):177-189. doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0310-7
  • Mercantepe F, Baydur Sahin S, Cumhur Cure M, Karadag Z. Relationship between serum endocan levels and other predictors of endothelial dysfunction in obese women. Angiology. 2023;74(10):948-957. doi:10.1177/00033197221129358
  • Klisic A, Kotur-Stevuljevic J, Gluscevic S, Sahin SB, Mercantepe F. Biochemical markers and carotid intima-media thickness in relation to cardiovascular risk in young women. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):24776. doi:10. 1038/s41598-024-75409-x
  • Klisic A, Kavaric N, Vujcic S. Total oxidant status and oxidative stress index as indicators of increased Reynolds risk score in postmenopausal women. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2020;24(19):10126-10133. doi:10. 26355/eurrev_202010_23232
  • Armstrong A, Jungbluth Rodriguez K, Sabag A, et al. Effect of aerobic exercise on waist circumference in adults with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2022;23:1-17. doi:10. 1111/obr.13446
There are 29 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Endocrinology
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Alev Lazoğlu Özkaya 0000-0002-2033-3692

Elma Kalac 0009-0007-4316-4282

Filiz Mercantepe 0000-0002-4325-1534

Aleksandra Klisic 0000-0001-7870-0996

Submission Date October 13, 2025
Acceptance Date November 11, 2025
Publication Date December 27, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 6 Issue: 6

Cite

AMA Lazoğlu Özkaya A, Kalac E, Mercantepe F, Klisic A. Associations of hsCRP, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters with cardiovascular risk in menopause status: a cross-sectional study. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac. December 2025;6(6):647-654.

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Interuniversity Board (UAK) Equivalency: Article published in Ulakbim TR Index journal [10 POINTS], and Article published in other (excuding 1a, b, c) international indexed journal (1d) [5 POINTS]



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