Reduced Insulin Sensitivity After Menopause

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Degradation in insulin sensitivity with increasing severity of the metabolic syndrome in obese postmenopausal women, by A.D. Karelis and colleagues. Diab Obes Metab 8:336-341, 2006.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Metabolic syndrome (a cluster of symptoms including a large waist size, high blood pressure, an inability of the body to handle insulin, and high levels of fats in the blood) is a serious problem that makes it more likely for a person to get cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and blood vessels) and diabetes.

Women are more likely to be affected by metabolic syndrome than men. In fact, about 43% of women who have already had menopause have the condition.

Among these people, there is a tendency for insulin in the body to not work like it should. When this happens, the person has insulin resistance. However, the link between insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in this group of women is not well understood.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

The researchers wanted to study the link between how well insulin acted in the body with parts of the metabolic syndrome in women who've already gone through menopause.

Menopause is the point in a woman's life when her menstrual periods stop. A woman who goes through menopause can no longer get pregnant. Menopause is when the female sex organs stop producing sex hormones -- a process that begins about 3 to 5 years before her final menstrual period. Menopause is considered complete when a woman hasn't had a period for one year. For most women this occurs around age 50.

Who was studied?

The study included 75 obese women from the Montreal area who had already gone through menopause.

How was the study done?

The women had a physical exam and blood tests to measure their bodies' ability to handle glucose and insulin.

What did the researchers find?

Sensitivity to insulin decreased as features of metabolic syndrome increased. This may be due mainly to increased abdominal fat (fat around the belly) and high levels of fats in the blood.

What were the limitations of the study?

The study only included obese postmenopausal women who were not active, so the results may be limited to this group of people.

What are the implications of the study?

Problems with the body's ability to handle insulin may play a major role in metabolic syndrome and other related health issues.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Diabetes and Menopause

Is the Metabolic Syndrome Really a Syndrome?

Diabetes and Metabolic Health