Physical and lifestyle predictors of vascular function in postmenopausal East Asian women: the women’s vascular health project

The cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden is especially pronounced in women after menopause accounting for more deaths worldwide than any other disease. The current research examined physical and lifestyle contributors to vascular health in postmenopausal East Asian women. Approximately 118 apparently healthy postmenopausal East Asian women (mean age, 61.18 ± 5.98 years) were evaluated for selected vascular health markers: carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), central augmentation index, and mean arterial pressure. Physical measurements encompassed body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass (SMM), percent body fat and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Lifestyle assessments incorporated the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and dietary recall. Independent associations with cfPWV, cAIx, and MAP were estimated using multivariate linear regression. After age adjustment, VAT showed a trend toward predicting combined vascular outcomes ( p = 0.058) while VAT and SMM positively predicted cfPWV ( p = 0.007 and p = 0.037, respectively). Higher 6-MWT scores were associated with lower cfPWV values ( p = 0.029). Our findings highlight the importance of VAT, and the 6-MWT in the evaluation of vascular health among postmenopausal East Asian women. Results support promotion of targeted interventions designed to reduce central obesity and increase physical activities that reduce cardiac risk in this population.