Association between metabolically obese but normal weight and cardiovascular diseases in Korean menopausal women

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to present useful data for developing effective health management strategies for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in postmenopausal women by investigating health-related behaviors and the prevalence of CVD for different types of obesity classified according to metabolic health status and body mass index criteria.MethodsUsing the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 data, 1,190 menopausal women aged 50 years or older were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. The participants were divided into four groups as follows: metabolically healthy and normal weight (MHNW), metabolically obese but normal weight (MONW), metabolically healthy but obese, and metabolically obese and obese. Complex-samples general linear analysis, t tests, and logistic regression analysis were used to compare the differences in health-related behaviors and the risk of CVD among the four groups.ResultsThe risk for stroke was 3.61 times higher (95% CI, 1.18-11.03) in the MONW group than in the MHNW group.ConclusionsWe found a strong association between the MONW group of obesity and the risk for CVD, particularly stroke, in postmenopausal women. These findings would serve as valuable evidence for developing and implementing interventions to prevent stroke in postmenopausal women in the MONW group.