Menopausal ‘middle-age spread’ raises CVD risk: study

US study shows increases in visceral adipose tissue predict a greater carotid intima-media thickness in menopausal women
Reuters Health

During the menopause transition, women experience an accelerated increase in abdominal visceral adipose tissue that is associated with greater risk of carotid atherosclerosis, according to new US research.

In a paper in Menopause, researchers report data panning 25 years on 362 women (mean age 51 years, 61% white, 39% black) with no CVD at baseline who had up to two measurements of abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and internal carotid artery intima-media thickness (ICA-IMT).