Endocrinology

It is generally assumed that iron stores increase during menopausal transition (Kim et al. 2012). However, no longitudinal studies have been conducted to ascertain this. Some women undergoing menopause experience increased insulin resistance and other cardiovascular conditions, which are not attributable to changes in adiposity or sex hormones. Iron is known to be a strong pro-oxidant, which catalyzes reactions tending to raise oxidative stress. This, in turn, is a risk factor for insulin resistance. Increased measures of iron during menopause may then contribute to insulin resistance at this period (Kim et al.).

In response, the Study of Women's Health across the Nation or SWAN was designed and conducted to determine and investigate biologic and sociologic changes during and after menopause (Kim et al. 2012). The researchers measured several iron markers at pre-menopause and post-menopause to find out if 1) iron measures increase from pre-menopause to post-menopause longitudinally; 2) there...
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