Samargandy S, Matthews KA, Brooks MM, et al. - Researchers aimed at describing abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) trajectory relative to the final menstrual period (FMP). In addition, they examined if menopause-related VAT accumulation is linked with greater average, common carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) and/or internal carotid artery intima-media thickness (ICA-IMT). From the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Heart study, they included 362 women (at baseline: age was (mean ± SD) 51.1 ± 2.8 y; 61% White, 39% Black) with no cardiovascular disease. Splines indicated a nonlinear trajectory of VAT which had two inflection points demarcating three time segments: segment 1: > 2 years before FMP; segment 2: 2 years before FMP to FMP; and segment 3: after FMP. Observations revealed an accelerated increase in VAT among women starting 2 years before menopause. Researchers identified greater risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in the internal carotid artery in correlation with this menopause-related increase in VAT.