Body composition and dyslipidemia in postmenopausal medical workers: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Dyslipidemia, characterized by abnormalities in lipid levels, significantly increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), particularly as its prevalence escalates with age, notably impacting postmenopausal women due to hormonal changes. Understanding the relationship between dyslipidemia and body composition, assessed through techniques like bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), is crucial for developing effective prevention and management strategies for cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disorders.This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of body composition on dyslipidemia in postmenopausal medical workers and inform prevention strategies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 207 postmenopausal medical workers undergoing hospital employee physical examinations between July and October 2023. Body composition was assessed using the Inbody720 analyser, and serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and other physical examination results were recorded. The study analyzed the relationship between body composition and blood lipid levels. RESULTS: The prevalence of total dyslipidemia in postmenopausal healthcare workers was 46.4%. Participants with dyslipidemia exhibited significantly higher levels of uric acid, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, BMI, body fat percentage, visceral fat area, body water, and minerals (p < 0.05). Conversely, skeletal muscle mass index was significantly lower in the dyslipidemia group (p = 0.000). Serum triglycerides (TG) showed a positive correlation with BMI(r = 0.377,p = 0.000), body fat percentage(r = 0.271,p = 0.000), skeletal muscle mass index(r = 0.254,p = 0.000), visceral fat area(r = 0.340,p = 0.000), total body water(r = 0.249,p = 0.000), and minerals(r = 0.231,p = 0.001) in postmenopausal medical workers. The binary logistic regression analysis revealedeach unit increase in body fat percentage, the odds of developing dyslipidemia increase by 77.1% (OR, 1.771, 95% CI,1.247-2.516). For each unit increase in total body water (TBW), the odds of developing dyslipidemia increase nearly sixfold (OR = 7.296,95% CI,2.068-25.740). Additionally, for each one-year increase in age, the odds of developing dyslipidemia increase by 5.8% (OR,1.058,95%CI,1.013-1.105). CONCLUSION: Skeletal muscle mass index, body fat percentage visceral fat area, minerals, and total body water are strongly correlated with dyslipidemia and can serve as predictors. Our study indicates that body composition is closely related to dyslipidemia. Accordingly, body composition assessment can be introduced in health check-ups for early screening, and interventions involving exercise and diet can be implemented for at-risk populations, providing comprehensive support for the prevention and control of dyslipidemia.