Background

Although the prevalence of hypertension is higher in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women, little is known about changes in blood pressure (BP) during the menopausal transition. We evaluated BP according to the menopausal transition and associated factors in healthy Korean women.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 2037 women aged 44 to 56 years who presented at a health-screening center in Seoul, Korea, from November 2012 to March 2013. The association between BP and menopausal transition and the risk factors related to elevated BP were determined using multiple linear regression analyses. Menopausal status was divided by four groups as premenopause, early menopausal transition, late menopausal transition and postmenopause.

Results

Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) differed significantly according to the menopausal status. BP showed the greatest difference between early and late menopausal transition. After adjusting for variables related to hypertension, SBP (β = 2.753, p < 0.01) and DBP (β = 1.746, p = 0.02) were significantly higher in late than early menopausal transition. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly different between early and late menopausal transition (1.4 vs. 6.1 %). Waist circumference, glucose, and triglycerides were positively and significantly associated with SBP and DBP during menopause.

Conclusions

BP and the prevalence of hypertension were significantly associated with period between early and late menopausal transition, suggesting that changes in BP during the menopausal transition are significant. Therefore, frequent monitoring will be needed for early detection of hypertension during the menopausal transition.