Objectives: We examined the effect of declining ovarian function on lipid profile.
Materials and methods: Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG) as well as early follicular phase FSH, periovulatory 17-beta oestradiol and midluteal progesterone levels were estimated. 71 regularly menstruating premenopausal women were divided according to serum progesterone concentration on: anovulatory (progesterone < 4.5 ng/ml) and ovulatory group (progesterone > 4.5 ng/ml).
Results: Investigated groups did not differ with respect to mean age, body mass index but hormonal profile showed higher level of FSH in anovulatory (15.1 +/- 21.2 mIU/ml) then in ovulatory group (5.1 +/- 4.2 mIU/ml, p = 0.008). 17-beta oestradiol levels were 91.9 +/- 29.9 pg/ml vs. 123 +/- 48.6 pg/ml, p < 0.05, respectively. Statistically significant difference in LDL concentration between anovulatory and ovulatory group was found (144.9 +/- 29.9 mg/dl vs. 131.4 +/- 24.6 mg/dl, p = 0.04, respectively). Also HDL content of the TC showed statistically significant difference between these two groups (19.3 +/- 4.4% vs. 21.4 +/- 4.3%, p = 0.04, respectively). However, there were no difference in serum concentrations of TC, TG, HDL.
Conclusion: Based on these findings we concluded that changes in lipid metabolism that lead to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases may appear as early as in the 5th decade of life in apparently healthy women.