Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Menopause is a natural step in the process of aging. Postmenopausal women have decreased levels of antioxidants and increased oxidative stress, the latter of which plays an important role in atherogenesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of the body mass index (BMI) with serum catalase activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels in healthy postmenopausal women and estimate whether the MDA/DHEAS ratio is a possible marker of oxidative stress for determining cardiovascular risk in these women. METHODS: We investigated serum catalase activity, MDA, and DHEAS levels, parity history, age, and BMI in 96 healthy postmenopausal women aged 50-82 years. The serum MDA levels and catalase activity were measured spectrophotometrically. The serum DHEAS levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The ratio percentage of the serum DHEAS levels to serum MDA levels was designated as a biomarker for oxidative stress. RESULTS: The mean BMI of the patients was 31.72 ± 6.16 kg/m(2) (range = 20.5-47.94). The MDA/DHEAS ratio was significantly decreased in patients with a BMI over 30 compared to that of patients with a BMI between 25 and 30 (P = 0.025). Moreover, BMI was positively correlated with serum DHEAS levels (r = 0.285, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with the MDA/DHEAS ratio (r = -0.241, P < 0.05) in postmenopausal women. Furthermore, BMI was observed to be a potential predictor of the MDA/DHEAS ratio based on covariance analysis (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that healthy, obese, postmenopausal women have a decreased MDA/DHEAS ratio. Additionally, BMI was observed to be a potential predictor of the MDA/DHEAS ratio.