Lipid profile, cardiorespiratory function and quality of life of postmenopausal women improves with aerobic exercise

Objective: Menopause is characterized by physiological changes with increased risk of obesity, dyslipidemia and decreased quality of life (QoL). Despite the plethora of reports on the alleviating effect of exercise on climacteric symptoms, there is little documentation of this lifestyle intervention among Ghanaian menopausal women. This study examined the effect of aerobic exercise on lipid profile, cardiorespiratory function and QoL among menopausal women. Methods: Eighteen sedentary postmenopausal women between 45 to 75 years were randomly assigned to experimental (EG, n=8) and control (CG, n=10) groups. The EG received moderate intensity aerobic exercise training for eight weeks, three times a week while the CG observed normal daily activities. Blood pressure, resting heart rate, BMI, and lipid profile were measured and QoL assessed using the Utian QoL questionnaire at weeks 0 and 9. Results: After 8 weeks, the EG demonstrated significant decrease in cardiovascular risk ratio by 6.5L% and a non-significant decrease in LDL by 11.9L%. The CG showed significant increase in systolic BP by 3.2%L and a non-significant increase in LDL and cardiovascular risk by 14.9L% and 9.4L% respectively. QoL significantly improved in the EG group compared to CG after the 8 weeks. Conclusion: The health and QoL of participants in EG was significantly better than the CG at the end of the experiment. Aerobic exercise decreases cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women and shows potential impact on lipid profile and health QoL. Proactively sponsored aerobic exercise programmes geared towards healthy living of postmenopausal women in Kumasi, Ghana are recommended