Association of menopausal status and menopausal hormone therapy with cardiovascular risk factors prevalence in a large French urban population.

This study aimed to assess the association of menopausal status and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) prevalence. We analyzed data from women aged 40 to 70yo, without previous cardiovascular disease, enrolled in the prospective CARVAR 92 cohort study conducted in the Hauts-de-Seine department, France, between 2010 and 2023. CVRF were assessed through blood analysis and medical check-up results. Menopausal status and hormone therapy use were self-reported. Of the 16,879 subjects included in CARVAR 92, 7395 women were analyzed including 2607 non-menopausal and 4788 menopausal women. After adjusting for age, menopausal women were at higher risk of obesity (OR, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.21, 1.70]; p<0.001), waist obesity (OR, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.17, 1.53]; p<0.001), hypertension (OR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.01, 1.36]; p=0.049), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.84 [95% CI, 1.31, 2.61]; p<0.001), and dyslipidemia (OR, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.49, 2.03]; p<0.001) compared to non-menopausal women. However, menopausal women using MHT did not show significant differences in the prevalence of CVRF compared to non-menopausal women. These findings remained robust across various models. Menopausal women exhibited an increase in all modifiable CVRF compared to non-menopausal women. MHT use may have a beneficial effect on the prevalence of these risk factors. These findings highlight the importance of considering menopausal status and MHT use when assessing and managing cardiovascular risk in women.