Physical Activity and Metabolic Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women

Hormonal changes associated with menopause, chronological aging, and lifestyle, especially physical inactivity, may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. Women exhibiting "the metabolic syndrome" have multiple coronary artery disease risk factors, including insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. This study will be conducted to test the hypotheses: (1) physical activity and physical fitness levels may have effects on individual risk factors of the metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women; (2) endurance exercise training may have a favorable effect on components of the metabolic risk variables in these women.

In this study, the associations among physical activity (including daily energy expenditure and energy expenditure from moderate to vigorous activity), cardiopulmonary fitness level, and metabolic risk profile of the women will be assessed. The investigators will perform a randomized trial to compare the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training regimens on metabolic risk factors. Postmenopausal women who exhibit at least one risk factor for metabolic syndrome will be randomized in the exercise group or control groups. Metabolic risk factors (e.g., body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, glucose, insulin, blood pressure, lipid profile and adiponectin level) will be measured at baseline, and 12 weeks of the study. Differences from baseline to follow-up will be calculated and compared across groups.

Results of this study may help health care providers providing advice to postmenopausal women for life style changes to reduce risk of insulin resistance, coronary heart disease, and diabetes.