Unfortunately, the statistics for women with heart disease are not good. For example, more than half of all women who are 50 or older will succumb to heart disease. It may be surprising, but menopause plays a large role in heart disease.

Women have monthly cycles that are regulated by the female sex hormone, estrogen. This hormone also plays other roles in the body including protecting the heart from lipids. Women’s cholesterol levels are managed to some degree by estrogen. Cholesterol is made up of good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). The amount of HDL is increased by appropriate levels of estrogen in the body. This helps keep arteries from building up with plaque and other fatty deposits. IN turn, blood can flow more freely to the heart.

However, estrogen is no long produced during and after menopause. This results in a decrease of LDL in the blood and the good cholesterol is no longer able to work against the bad cholesterol. Heart disease and cholesterol are linked to one another very closely so it’s possible for the arteries to begin to thicken and for blood pressure to increase.

Women going through menopause naturally will not have their risk of heart disease and stroke increase dramatically but rather slowly over time as the body will stop producing estrogen slowly. However, when a woman is forced into menopause as a result of surgery then the risk of heart disease and stroke increase rapidly. The reason why is because the level of estrogen falls off very quickly.

When heart disease is caught early there are many different treatment options. Still there has not been a cure for heart disease but women who seek treatment are able to reduce their risk factors significantly. There are drugs available that can help women lower their high cholesterol. There are also drugs that can lower high blood pressure. Other heart disease problems may be addressed with nitrates or beta blockers.

The most important thing for women going through menopause is to talk with their doctors regularly, get regular checkups and screenings, and make the best decisions possible regarding the medications they take to treat the symptoms of menopause as well as those used to treat heart disease.

Posted in Menopause

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