Evaluation of the relationship between physical activity levels, vasomotor symptoms and blood parameters in postmenopausal women

Objective: It is known that physical activity provides many benefits for menopausal women, just as it does for women of all ages. For menopausal women, physical activity is of great importance in maintaining health, improving quality of life, and alleviating menopausal symptoms. Menopause causes significant changes in women's hormonal balance, and this can also affect blood values. With this study, we aimed to examine the factors affecting physical activity, the effect of physical activity on menopausal symptoms caused by hormonal changes in women, and the effects. Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine with the decision dated 24.10.2023 and numbered 2023/497. The study population included 257 postmenopausal women who applied to the Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic between 30.01.2024 and 10.09.2024. The women who agreed to participate in the study were administered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Menopause Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) through face-to-face interview technique after obtaining their consent. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and blood pressure measurements were taken and recorded. Biochemical tests obtained from the patients were noted. All data were evaluated using the SPSS 21.0 statistical package program. Statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants in the study was 56.72±6.82 years. The mean BMI was 31.01±4.69 kg/m2. According to the evaluation, 23.3% (n=60) of the participants were inactive, 61.5% (n=158) were minimally active and 15.2% (n=39) were very active. The mean scores of the participants on the somatic complaints sub-dimension of the menopause symptoms assessment scale were 6.68±3.05, the mean score on the psychological complaints sub-dimension was 6.65±3.12, and the mean score on the urogenital complaints sub-dimension was 3.86±2.55. The mean total score was 17.20±6.74. As the total Metabolic Equivalent (MET) (min/week) score of the participants increased, TG, Total-C, LDL-C, Fasting Glucose, Insulin, Homocysteine, HOMA-IR, RDW values decreased significantly (r=-0.280; p=<0.001, r=-0.150; p=0.016, r=-0.179; p=0.004, r=-0.203; p=0.001, r=-0.177; 92 p=0.004, r=-0.267; p<0.001, r=-0.234; p<0.001, r=-0.167; P=0.007). As the Total Metabolic Equivalent (MET) (min/week) score increased, HDL-C and Folate values increased significantly (r=0.229; p<0.001, r=0.158; p=0.011, respectively). There was no significant difference between total MET (min/week) score and total and subgroup scores of menopausal symptoms (p=0.117). Conclusion: Sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity is an important health problem. As family physicians, we should approach the patient holistically in primary care and appropriate exercise programs should be recommended to postmenopausal women to alleviate menopausal symptoms, improve quality of life, improve lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and homocysteine levels. Keywords: Menopause, Menopausal Symptoms, Physical Activity, Lipid Profile, Homocysteine