Smoking cessation and associated risk of metabolic syndrome in women.

ISSN 1745-5057 10.2217/WHE.12.31 © 2012 Future Medicine Ltd Women's Health (2012) 8(4), 367–369 were never smokers. Overall, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased with age, regardless of smoking or menopausal status. Past smokers had significantly higher odds of metabolic syndrome, regardless of menopausal status. In never smokers, only postmenopausal women demonstrated increased odds of metabolic syndrome. This was not observed among premenopausal never smokers. Furthermore, past and never smokers had increased odds of central obesity compared with current smokers, regardless of menopausal status. Premenopausal women who were past and never smokers had decreased odds of low HDL, but this relationship was not observed in postmenopausal women. Adjustment for daily caloric intake in the subset of women for whom this data were available did not significantly influence the overall results. Among never smokers, having a secondary education, exercising 4–7 days per week for at least 30 min per day or active commuting to work was associated with decreased odds of metabolic syndrome, regardless of menopausal status. However, these associations were not found in past smokers who were premenopausal. In postmenopausal past smokers, only physical activity 4–7 days per week (>30 min per day) or active commuting were associated with decreased odds of metabolic syndrome compared with postmenopausal current smokers.