IJCS | Volume 31, Nº3, May/ June 2018

203 Fonseca et al. Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2018;31(3)201-208 Original Article Table 1 – Distribution of metabolic syndrome components, according to the menopausal status, in women treated at a gynecology outpatient clinic. São Luís (MA), Brazil, 2015 Variables General Menopausal status p value Premenopausal Postmenopausal n % n % n % Arterial hypertension 0.001* No 100 66.67 60 80.00 40 53.33 Yes 50 33.33 15 20.00 35 46.67 Triglycerides 0.212 Normal 45 30.00 26 34.67 19 25.33 High 105 70.00 49 65.33 56 74.67 HDL cholesterol 0.400 Normal 93 62.00 49 65.33 44 58.67 Low 57 38.00 26 34.67 31 41.33 Fasting glucose 0.031 * Normal 89 59.33 51 68.00 38 50.67 Altered 61 40.67 24 32.00 37 49.33 Waist circumference 0.597 No risk 47 31.33 25 33.33 22 29.33 Risk 103 68.67 50 66.67 53 70.67 Metabolic syndrome 0.130 Absent 93 62.00 51 68.00 42 56.00 Present 57 38.00 24 32.00 33 44.00 *p < 0.05, chi-square test. significant value of p < 0.05 was considered, using the STATA® software, version 12.0 This study is part of a larger project, entitled “Endothelial Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Menopausal Women", which was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (REC) of Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal do Maranhão, under Opinion n. 182/11, according to Resolution 196/96 and its complementary regulations of the National Health Council (CNS/MS). Results A total of 150 women were evaluated, 75 in the premenopausal Group I and 75 in the postmenopausal Group II, aged 40 to 59 years, and mean age of 49.6 (± 6.7 years). Metabolic syndrome (MS) was diagnosed in 57 women (38%), of which 24 (32%) were premenopausal and 33 (44%) were postmenopausal women. There was no statistical difference between menopause and MS. When studying the association betweenMS components and menopausal status, higher mean values of blood pressure (BP), triglycerides, fasting glucose and waist circumference were found, as well as lower values of HDL-cholesterol in group II. The menopausal status was an independent risk factor only for the increase in BP and fasting glycemia (Table 1). When evaluating the prevalence of IR calculated by the HOMA-IR Index, 28 participants had insulin resistance. In Group I, ten women (13.3%) had IR, while in Group II,