Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome according to Menopausal Status: The 5th Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and differences of risk factors of Metabolic syndrome according to menopausal status. From the database of the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V) conducted in 2012, data of 3,537 women who responded to health interview and health examination questionnaires. The presence of Metabolic syndrome was assessed using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The prevalence of Metabolic syndrome was 17.3% in premenopause and 54.3% in postmenopause. BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and Ferritin were higher in postmenopausal women compared to premenopausal women. However, postmenopausal women had lower HDL cholesterol and TIBC when compared to premenopausal women. Hypertension was the most prominent characteristic of postmenopausal women. Low HDL cholesterol showed up as a meaningful factor in premenopausal women. According to multiple regression analysis, waist circumference, fasting glucose, and HDL cholesterol were independent predictors of menopause. Therefore, obesity control and blood lipids management is recommended for postmenopausal women.