Duration of menopause and behavior of malondialdehyde, lipids, lipoproteins and carotid wall artery intima-media thickness.

AIM: our study assessed whether minor or major hormonal deficiency influenced oxidative status and vascular wall structure in menopausal women. METHODS: the study series was made up of 62 non hypertensive non diabetic menopausal women (mean age 52.3+/-4.7 years) divided into two groups depending on duration of menopause (group 1 duration 0-5 years; group 2 duration over 5 years). Total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA) and common carotid artery wall intima-media thickness (IMT) were determined in the entire series. RESULTS: mean TC, LDL-C, TG, MDA and IMT values were higher in group 2 than group 1. The intergroup difference between MDA (P<0.007) and IMT values (P<0.006) values was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: the study revealed a close temporal correlation between plasma oxidative stress and carotid wall IMT, jeopardizes vascular wall status as menopause proceeds.