Menopause status is associated with circadian- and sleep-related alterations

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether postmenopausal women show differences in circadian-related variables and sleep characteristics compared with premenopausal women, and to analyze potential associations between these circadian-related variables and abdominal fat distribution or metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. Methods: A total of 177 women were studied (127 premenopausal, 50 postmenopausal). Sixty percent of the total population was overweight/obese, with no significant differences between premenopausal (60%) and postmenopausal women (62%) (P = 0.865). Wrist temperature (WT) and rest-activity cycles were measured during 8 consecutive days, and sleep and food diaries collected. MetS characteristics and daily patterns of saliva cortisol were analyzed. Sleep characteristics were assessed with domiciliary polysomnography. Results: Postmenopausal women showed a less robust rhythm in WT with lower amplitude (°C) (0.8 ± 0.4 vs 0.9 ± 0.5) (P 
Source: Menopause - Category: OBGYN Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research