Adiposity and inflammation may be linked with all-cause and CV mortality among postmenopausal women: Study

Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) and Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) from the American Heart Association are industry-accepted metrics that summarize overall cardiovascular health.

A recent study published in Menopause found that certain health indicators are inversely associated with both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in postmenopausal women, suggesting a protective effect. The study also revealed that factors like adiposity (body fat) and systemic inflammation partially mediate these relationships, indicating that reduced fat levels and inflammation may contribute to improved survival outcomes.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Due to hormone changes, metabolic alterations, and vascular aging, this risk significantly increases after menopause. Comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular health is therefore essential for identifying high-risk populations and building prevention strategies in postmenopausal women.

Although higher LE8 and LC9 scores have been associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular events and mortality, the underlying causes of these associations have not been completely identified. Postmenopausal women undergo substantial shifts in body composition and fat redistribution (especially around a woman’s midsection) that elevate cardiometabolic risk. In addition, in this population, higher adiposity is frequently associated with an increased frequency of inflammatory markers and metabolic dysregulation.

That’s why this new study involving more than 7,800 postmenopausal women (of whom 1,313 had died during follow-up) sought to examine the relationships between LE8 and LC9 and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and to evaluate whether adiposity-related and inflammation-related indicators statistically mediate these associations. Based on the results, the researchers concluded that higher LC9 and LE8 scores were associated with lower risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in postmenopausal women. Moreover, adiposity-related, and inflammation-related indicators partially mediated these associations. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive cardiovascular health assessment and suggest the benefits of maintaining favorable cardiometabolic profiles.

Study results are published in the article “Mediation analysis of adiposity and inflammation in the associations of Life’s Crucial 9 and Life’s Essential 8 with mortality among postmenopausal women.”

“We already know that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, and not smoking are important for heart health, but the findings of this study highlight just how powerful they may be. Women with better overall cardiometabolic health profiles after menopause are more likely to live longer, suggesting that many of the factors influencing our health span are within our control,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

Reference:

Jun Wei, Yang Liu, Mediation analysis of adiposity and inflammation in the associations of Life's Crucial 9 and Life's Essential 8 with mortality among postmenopausal women, Menopause, DOI:10.1097/GME.0000000000000002761