Long-term effect of a dietary education program on postmenopausal cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome: the Brisighella Heart Study

J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010 Jan;19(1):133-7. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2008.1268.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether a nutritional education intervention on a general population cohort is able to balance the metabolic effects of incident menopause in a large sample of perimenopausal women.

Methods: We measured body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, plasma lipids, fasting plasma glucose, and prevalence of metabolic syndrome in two groups of perimenopausal nondiabetic women involved in the Brisighella Heart Study, a longitudinal epidemiological study, before (sample size 301) and after (sample size 262) a nutritional education program aimed at improving the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile in a whole village population.

Results: Before the interventional period, women undergoing menopause experienced a significant increase in BMI, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (all parameters exhibited p < 0.01). After the nutritional intervention, women undergoing menopause experienced a significant reduction only in triglyceride plasma level (p < 0.001). Metabolic syndrome prevalence was 73 in 301 and 99 in 301 (p = 0.018), respectively, before and after menopause in the preintervention group, and it was 66 in 262 and 68 in 262 (p = 0.871), respectively, in the postintervention group.

Conclusions: In our study, a nutritional education program aimed at improving the CVD risk profile of a whole village population is associated with the prevention of increase in systolic blood pressure, BMI, cholesterolemia, and metabolic syndrome prevalence linked to menopause.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory
  • Body Mass Index
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Diet*
  • Female
  • Health Status Indicators*
  • Humans
  • Lipids / blood
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Metabolic Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Metabolic Syndrome / epidemiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Perimenopause* / blood
  • Perimenopause* / physiology
  • Postmenopause / physiology*
  • Program Evaluation
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Lipids
  • Triglycerides