IJCS | Volume 31, Nº3, May/ June 2018

205 Fonseca et al. Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2018;31(3)201-208 Original Article Table 3 – Statistically significant difference between HOMA-IR and metabolic syndrome and its components, according to menopausal status in women treated in a Gynecology Outpatient Clinic. São Luís (MA), Brazil, 2015 Variables Premenopausal Postmenopausal HOMA-IR p value* HOMA-IR p value* Mean ± Standard deviation Mean ± Standard deviation Metabolic syndrome 0.1294 0.0025* Absent 2.17 ± 1.15 2.62 ± 1.77 Gift 3.16 ± 2.45 4.64 ± 3.27 HDL cholesterol 0.7426 0.0114* Normal 2.33 ± 1.32 2.72 ± 1.76 Low 2.78 ± 2.30 4.39 ± 3.40 Blood Pressure 0.1751 0.2470 Normal 2.17 ±1.10 3.04 ± 2.02 Altered 3.20 ± 2.54 3.76 ± 3.15 Waist circumference 0.0835 0.0871 Normal 2.01 ± 1.28 2.89 ± 2.45 Cardiovascular risk 2.73 ± 1.87 3.63 ± 2.76 Triglycerides 0.0001* 0.2073 Normal 1.65 ± 1.00 2.89 ± 2.28 High 2.93 ± 1.86 3.59 ± 2.79 Fasting glucose < 0.0001* 0.0531 Normal 1.92 ± 1.02 2.73 ± 1.76 Altered 3.69 ± 2.25 4.12 ± 3.24 * p < 0.05, chi-square test. Furthermore, when we evaluated the association between the MS components and the menopausal status, we observed that the occurrence of menopause was considered an independent risk factor for the increase of both BP and blood glucose levels. Kim et al. 18 , when studying 3,219 Korean women, found a statistically significant association only between the following syndrome components: WC, BP and triglycerides. Linet al., 19 in a study developed in the northern region of Taiwan, with 597 women, based on NCEP criteria, demonstrated that menopause is a direct predictor for the development of four of the five MS components, including: WC, BP, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol. Again, the authors believe that the divergent associations found in their study are consequences of the genetic, socioenvironmental and sociocultural differences of the studied populations. It is known thatMShas IRamong itspathophysiological bases, 20 but for some time, the influence of menopause has been discussed on the onset of insulin resistance. To date, literature data are unclear regardingwhether menopause is associated with increased IR, but evidence indicates that the role of aging and body fat redistribution (central adiposity) in IR increase in postmenopausal women is well established. 21 This study evaluated the presence of IR through theHOMA-IR index in pre- and postmenopausal women, as well as the association between the MS components with the HOMA-IR value, observing a