Skip to main content

Menopause Bring New Risks for Women's Heart Health

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2023 -- The risk of having heart disease grows as a woman ages, so women need to be familiar with their heart disease risk factors, the American Heart Association (AHA) says.

Menopause factors into this risk in several different ways, with age, estrogen, symptoms and other body changes also playing a role.

Women who reach menopause at younger ages -- before 45 -- have a significantly higher risk of heart disease, according to the AHA. When a woman has had surgical removal of her ovaries, forcing menopause early, she can also have a higher risk of heart disease.

However, the same surgery around the age of natural menopause does not raise risk, the AHA said. A hysterectomy, where the uterus is removed, also doesn't appear to influence cardiovascular risk before or after menopause.

Some well-known symptoms of menopause are hot flashes and night sweats. They can last up to 10 years and are also associated with worse heart disease risk levels.

Depression and sleep problems have also been linked with heart disease risk.

So, too, has increased visceral fat, which is the fat in the abdominal cavity.

Estrogen is also a factor. This hormone keeps blood vessels relaxed and open. It starts to decline with the approach of menopause. Cholesterol may then build up in the artery walls, according to the AHA. That can increase the risk of heart disease or stroke.

Risk factors like cholesterol levels and metabolic syndrome appear to increase with menopause beyond just the impact of aging.

A person has metabolic syndrome if they have 3 out of 5 risk factors. These factors are: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and abdominal obesity.

Sources

  • American Heart Association, news release

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted October 2023

Read this next

Mediterranean Diet Cuts Women's Risk of Early Death by 23%

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Experts have long extolled the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and a new study adds to that evidence, finding it cuts the odds for an early death in...

Could Tough Workouts Trigger a Hot Flash?

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- While going through menopause, many women who gain weight head to the gym for intense workouts, but new research suggests that too much exercise may help...

Mummies Study Finds Heart Disease Plagued the Ancients, Too

THURSDAY, May 30, 2024 -- Folks typically think of heart disease as a byproduct of modern fast-food living, but a new study shows the condition has plagued humanity for...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.