# Circulating vitamin D and follicle-stimulating hormone levels are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in climacteric women with menopausal syndrome

## TL;DR

This study explores how vitamin D and follicle-stimulating hormone levels relate to early signs of atherosclerosis in menopausal women.

## Contribution

The study reveals an interaction between vitamin D and FSH levels with subclinical atherosclerosis in climacteric women.

## Key findings

- Low vitamin D levels were inversely associated with high intima-media thickness (IMT).
- High FSH and fasting blood glucose were positively linked to increased IMT.
- A significant multiplicative interaction between vitamin D and blood glucose was found in younger women.

## Abstract

Recent studies of climacteric women suggest that 25-OH vitamin D (25(OH)D) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels may be associated with atherosclerosis. Whether interaction of 25(OH)D and FSH on subclinical atherosclerosis remains unknown. We investigated the relationship between 25(OH)D and FSH levels with carotid and right subclavian intima-media wall thickness (IMT), as well as it’s interaction on IMT, in climacteric women with menopausal syndrome.

A total of 227 climacteric women aged 40~59 years from January 2023 to December 2024 were included in this study. Serum was assayed for 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D), sex hormones, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The carotid and right subclavian IMT was evaluated using a B-mode ultrasound. Logistic analysis was used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI for high IMT associated with 25(OH)D, FSH, and traditional factors. Andersson’s model was applied to evaluate the additive interaction between these factors.

The serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were inversely (OR: 0.945, 95 CI: 0.906-0.986) correlated with high IMT but FSH (OR: 1.021, 95 CI: 1.009-1.033) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) (OR: 2.302, 95 CI: 1.383-3.831) were positively associated with high IMT. After the stratified analysis by age, there were a significant multiplicative, but not additive, interaction between 25(OH)D and FBG on high IMT in women aged ≤50 years (p<0.05).

High FSH and low 25(OH)D were associated with a high IMT except FBG. The formation of high IMT had different risk factors in younger and elder climacteric women with menopausal syndrome.