0000000000589695
AUTHOR
Jari E. Karppinen
Associations of Sex Hormones and Hormonal Status With Arterial Stiffness in a Female Sample From Reproductive Years to Menopause
ObjectiveLoss of sex hormones has been suggested to underlie menopause-associated increment in cardiovascular risk. We investigated associations of sex hormones with arterial stiffness in 19–58-years-old women. We also studied associations of specific hormonal stages, including natural menstrual cycle, cycle with combined oral contraceptives (COC) and menopausal status with or without hormone therapy (HT), with arterial stiffness.MethodsThis study includes repeated measurements of 65 healthy women representing reproductive (n=16 natural, n=10 COC-users) and menopause (n=5 perimenopausal, n=26 postmenopausal, n=8 HT-users) stages. Arterial stiffness outcomes were aortic pulse wave velocity (…
Metabolic health, menopause, and physical activity : a 4-year follow-up study
Background In women, metabolic health deteriorates after menopause, and the role of physical activity (PA) in mitigating the change is not completely understood. This study investigates the changes in indicators of metabolic health around menopause and evaluates whether PA modulates these changes. Methods Longitudinal data of 298 women aged 48–55 years at baseline participating in the ERMA and EsmiRs studies was used. Mean follow-up time was 3.8 (SD 0.1) years. Studied indicators of metabolic health were total and android fat mass, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides, serum total cholesterol, and high…
Weight loss induces changes in adaptive thermogenesis in female and male physique athletes
Physique athletes lose substantial weight preparing for competitions, potentially altering systemic metabolism. We investigated sex differences in body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), and appetite-regulating and thyroid hormone changes during a competition preparation among drug-free physique athletes. The participants were female (10 competing (COMP) and 10 nondieting controls (CTRL)) and male (13 COMP and 10 CTRL) physique athletes. COMP were tested before they started their diet 23 weeks before competing (PRE), during their diet one week before competing (MID), and 23 weeks after competing (POST), whereas CTRL were tested at similar intervals but did not diet. Measurement…
Associations of Sex Hormones and Hormonal Status With Arterial Stiffness in a Female Sample From Reproductive Years to Menopause
Objective: Loss of sex hormones has been suggested to underlie menopause-associated increment in cardiovascular risk. We investigated associations of sex hormones with arterial stiffness in 19–58-years-old women. We also studied associations of specific hormonal stages, including natural menstrual cycle, cycle with combined oral contraceptives (COC) and menopausal status with or without hormone therapy (HT), with arterial stiffness. Methods: This study includes repeated measurements of 65 healthy women representing reproductive (n=16 natural, n=10 COC-users) and menopause (n=5 perimenopausal, n=26 postmenopausal, n=8 HT-users) stages. Arterial stiffness outcomes were aortic pulse wave veloc…
MicroRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles in Sweat Change in Response to Endurance Exercise
Background: To date, microRNAs (miRs) carried in extracellular vesicles (EVs) in response to exercise have been studied in blood but not in non-invasively collectable body fluids. In the present study, we examined whether six exercise–responsive miRs, miRs-21, -26, -126, -146, -221, and -222, respond to acute endurance exercise stimuli of different intensities in sweat. Methods: We investigated the response of miRs isolated from sweat and serum EVs to three endurance exercise protocols: (1) maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), (2) anaerobic threshold (AnaT), and (3) aerobic threshold (AerT) tests. Sauna bathing was used as a control test to induce sweating through increased body temperature i…
Extracellular vesicles and high‐density lipoproteins: Exercise and oestrogen‐responsive small RNA carriers
Decreased systemic oestrogen levels (i.e., menopause) affect metabolic health. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Both oestrogens and exercise have been shown to improve metabolic health, which may be partly mediated by circulating microRNA (c-miR) signalling. In recent years, extracellular vesicles (EV) have increased interest in the field of tissue crosstalk. However, in many studies on EV-carried miRs, the co-isolation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles with EVs has not been considered, potentially affecting the results. Here, we demonstrate that EV and HDL particles have distinct small RNA (sRNA) content, including both host and nonhost sRN…
Fat oxidation at rest and during exercise in male monozygotic twins
Abstract Purpose We aimed to investigate if hereditary factors, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and metabolic health interact with resting fat oxidation (RFO) and peak fat oxidation (PFO) during ergometer cycling. Methods We recruited 23 male monozygotic twin pairs (aged 32–37 years) and determined their RFO and PFO with indirect calorimetry for 21 and 19 twin pairs and for 43 and 41 twin individuals, respectively. Using physical activity interviews and the Baecke questionnaire, we identified 10 twin pairs as LTPA discordant for the past 3 years. Of the twin pairs, 8 pairs participated in both RFO and PFO measurements, and 2 pairs participated in either of the measurements. We quantif…
Associations of resting and peak fat oxidation with sex hormone profile and blood glucose control in middle-aged women.
Background and Aims Menopause may reduce fat oxidation. We investigated whether sex hormone profile explains resting fat oxidation (RFO) or peak fat oxidation (PFO) during incremental cycling in middle-aged women. Secondarily, we studied associations of RFO and PFO with glucose regulation. Method and Results We measured RFO and PFO of 42 women (age 52–58 years) with indirect calorimetry. Seven participants were pre- or perimenopausal, 26 were postmenopausal, and nine were postmenopausal hormone therapy users. Serum estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, and testosterone levels were quantified with immunoassays. Insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index) and glucose tolerance (…
Menopause modulates the circulating metabolome: evidence from a prospective cohort study
Abstract Aims We studied the changes in the circulating metabolome and their relation to the menopausal hormonal shift in 17β-oestradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels among women transitioning from perimenopause to early postmenopause. Methods and results We analysed longitudinal data from 218 Finnish women, 35 of whom started menopausal hormone therapy during the study. The menopausal transition was monitored with menstrual diaries and serum hormone measurements. The median follow-up was 14 months (interquartile range: 8–20). Serum metabolites were quantified with targeted nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics. The model results were adjusted for age, follow-up duration, educat…
Menopausal symptoms and cardiometabolic risk factors in middle-aged women : A cross-sectional and longitudinal study with 4-year follow-up
Objective To study associations of menopausal symptoms with cardiometabolic risk factors. Study design A cross-sectional and longitudinal study of a representative population sample of 1393 women aged 47–55 years with a sub-sample of 298 followed for four years. The numbers of vasomotor, psychological, somatic or pain, and urogenital menopausal symptoms were ascertained at baseline through self-report. Their associations with cardiometabolic risk factors were studied using linear regression and linear mixed-effect models. Models were adjusted for age, menopausal status, body mass index, the use of hormonal preparations, education, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Main outcome measures Card…
Total and regional body adiposity increases during menopause : evidence from a follow‐up study
For women, menopausal transition is a time of significant hormonal changes, which may contribute to altered body composition and regional adipose tissue accumulation. Excess adiposity, and especially adipose tissue accumulation in the central body region, increases women's risk of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions and affects physical functioning. We investigated the associations between menopausal progression and total and regional body adiposity measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography in two longitudinal cohort studies of women aged 47–55 (n = 230 and 148, mean follow-up times 1.3 ± 0.7 and 3.9 ± 0.2 years, mean baseline BMI 25.5 kg/m2). We also examin…