Postmenopausal vaginal atrophy correlates with decreased estradiol and body mass index and does not depend on the time since menopause

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between morphologic cell characteristics in Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and serum estradiol, body mass index (BMI) and the time elapsed since menopause. Study design. In 92 women Pap smears were grouped into atrophic and mature cell patterns and compared with estradiol, BMI and the time since menopause. RESULTS: Forty-one patients with mature cell pattern were on average 7.1 years from menopause and 51 patients with atrophic pattern 8.2 years, but this difference was not significant. Estradiol in patients with mature cell pattern was significantly higher (52.1 +/- 48.5 pmol/l) than in patients with atrophic pattern (25.6 +/- 40.0 pmol/l). Similarly, BMI was significantly higher (27.9 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2)) in patients with mature cell pattern than in patients with atrophic pattern (25.7 +/- 3.8 kg/m(2)). There was no significant correlation between the time since menopause and estradiol among patients with mature and atrophic cell pattern. The same was true for the correlation between the time from menopause and BMI in patients with mature and atrophic pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Estradiol and BMI are associated with vaginal cell maturation and atrophy in postmenopausal women. Vaginal cell atrophy does not depend on the time since menopause.