Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2010 Sep;10(3):248-52.

Atherogenic index of plasma as useful predictor of cardiovascular risk among postmenopausal women in Enugu, Nigeria

U I Nwagha  1 , E J Ikekpeazu, F E Ejezie, E E Neboh, I C Maduka
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Atherogenic index of plasma as useful predictor of cardiovascular risk among postmenopausal women in Enugu, Nigeria

U I Nwagha et al. Afr Health Sci. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Menopausal health in our environment has received little attention. As an independent risk factor for dyslipidaemia, the degree and pattern of derangement, though difficult to assess may adversely affect the cardiovascular health of our women.

Objectives: To estimate the serum lipid profile and the atherogenic index of plasma in normal post menopausal women.

Methods: This is a cross sectional study involving 80 apparently healthy women voluntarily recruited from staff of the University of Nigeria and the Teaching Hospital (UNTH) located in Enugu. They include 50 postmenopausal subjects aged between 50 and 70 years and 30 premenopausal controls aged between 25 and 49 years. Total cholesterol (TC), and the various subfractions; high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were determined. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP); log (TG/HDL-C) was calculated.

Results: There were statistically significant increases (P< 0.0001) in TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C and AIP but a statistically significant decrease (P<0.0001) in HDL-C in postmenopausal women when compared with the premenopausal subjects. Except HDL-C that showed insignificant reduction, there were statistically significant derangement of other lipid subfractions as the duration of menopause increased.

Conclusion: Menopause, no doubt alters lipid profile. A triglyceride based index (AIP) can significantly add value when assessing the risk of developing atherosclerosis in Nigeria.

Keywords: Lipid profile; atherogenic index of plasma (AIP); atherosclerosis; dyslipidaemia; postmenopausal women.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Wolfman W. Reality check on menopause. Your Health Report Spring. 2002;40:34–36.
    1. Wald M. Menopause: A natural transition. Advanced Medicine. 2003;12:25–29.
    1. Manju B, Seth S, Seth R. Lipid profile in various phases of menstrual cycles and its relationship with percentage plasma volume changes. Clinica Chimica Acta. 1988;273:201–207. - PubMed
    1. Dowling EA. How exercise affect lipid profile in women. The Physician and Sports Medicine. 2001;29(9):45–47. - PubMed
    1. Brites FD, Bonavita CD, Cloes M, Yael M. VLDL Compositional changes and plasma levels of triglycerides and high density lipoproteins. Clinica Chimica Acta. 1998;269:107–124. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources