ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of menopausal specific fat distribution with metabolic risk factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred Chinese women including 110 premenopausal women aged 39.7±9.2 y and 90 postmenopausal women aged 55.4±4.6 years were enrolled. Total and regional fat depots including android fat and gynoid fat were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The differences of regional fat depot between pre-and post menopausal women were compared by covariate analysis. The association of regional fat changes with metabolic risk factors were analyzed by logistic models.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gynoid fat was significantly decreased in postmenopausal women after accounting for total fat changes. After adjusting covariates (including age, BMI, and %BF), the inverse associations of gynoid fat with metabolic risk factors still remained (OR=1.8-3.7,P<0.05). Furthermore, the interaction between menopause and gynoid fat was significantly in all logistic models (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Android fat was increased whereas gynoid fat was decreased after menopause. Opposite to the detrimental effects of android fat, gynoid fat was inversely associated with metabolic risk factors, especially in postmenopausal women.</p>