Early menopause linked to heart disease, risk of death

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Many women think that heart attack and stroke are male diseases. The truth is not so. Heart attack and stroke are among the leading killers of women. In fact, after the age of 50, nearly half of all deaths in women are caused by heart disease and stroke.

As women enter their 50s, around the age of menopause, their risk of cardiovascular disease increases to an astonishing level. In young women who have experienced early menopause or surgical menopause without using estrogen replacement, their risk of heart disease is also higher. Women who have gone through menopause and have the following risk factors for cardiovascular disease have an even greater risk:
Diabetes Smoking High blood pressure LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the high HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) level is obese, sedentary lifestyle has a family history of cardiovascular disease

1. Heart Disease and Stroke Linked to Menopause

Early menopause can double your risk of having a stroke.
One study found that “Women whose menstrual cycles stopped before age 42 were twice as likely to have a stroke”, February 20, 2009 (San Diego)
Researcher Linda Lisabeth – associate professor In contrast, women who had a natural menopause after the age of 54 had about a 70 percent lower risk of developing the disease, said lead author Dr. more strokes than women who started menopause before the age of 42”
“Data suggest that about 1 in 20 strokes in women belong to early menopause,” Linda Lisabeth told WebMB.
The researchers only studied women who had gone through natural menopause, not women who had stopped their periods through surgery or therapy. Their findings were presented at the 2009 International Stroke Conference and are also published online in the journal Stroke.

2. The debate about the relationship between the risk of heart disease and stroke with estrogen

To conduct the study, researchers followed 1,430 women participating in the Framingham Heart Study. None of them had a stroke before the age of 60.
The women were followed for an average of 22 years. During this time period, 234 people had an ischemic stroke. The most common type of stroke, an ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel leading to the brain is blocked by a blood clot. This leads to brain cell death and brain damage.

Even after the risks from smoking, having diabetes, high blood pressure, and some other causes of stroke were considered, “women going through menopause under age 42 were more likely to have a stroke.” high," said Lisabeth.
“The findings support the hypothesis that a drop in hormone levels increases the risk of stroke, but current evidence suggests that this hypothesis is not valid,” she said.
“For example, the organization WHI - Women's Health Action Organization stated that giving women hormone drugs after menopause actually increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers,” said Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, director of the Duke Stroke Center (Durham, N.C.).
One limitation of studies like these is that they only show an association between two causes – in this case age at menopause and risk of stroke – without proving cause and influence, he said.
“You might find something in epidemiological studies, but that doesn't mean doing it will improve outcomes,” Goldstein told WebMD.
Despite the inconsistency of data, what should women who experience menopause at a premature age do? Patients are advised to consult with a specialist to check for problems with early menopause.
About 3 to 10% of women enter natural menopause before age 45, according to data cited in the study.

3. Do hormone replacement therapies have any impact on the risk of heart disease and stroke?

There are no cardiovascular risks associated with the use of hormone replacement therapies, and even this therapy offers many benefits, depending on age.

Women who started menopause less than 10 years before starting hormone replacement therapy showed no increased risk of heart disease. The same is true for people between the ages of 50 and 59 using this therapy.
Young women are generally not at risk or their risk of heart disease is very low. However, women over 60 who went through menopause more than 10 years ago may have a slightly increased risk of heart attack.

4. How can women in menopause reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke?

A healthy lifestyle goes hand in hand with preventing heart disease and stroke in women. Incorporating the following tips into your daily life can help you reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke during and after menopause:
Avoid or stop smoking. Smokers have twice the risk of heart attack and stroke. Not only do not smoke, avoid passively inhaling secondhand smoke, it also increases the likelihood of disease. Maintain a healthy weight. The more you lose your ideal weight, the harder your heart will have to work to supply your body with nutrients. Research shows that obesity causes the onset of heart disease. Daily exercise . The heart is like any other muscle – it needs to work to stay healthy. Actively exercising regularly (ideally at least 150 minutes per week) will significantly improve cardiovascular health. Activity and exercise also help reduce many other risk factors. It helps lower blood cholesterol, relieves stress, helps with weight loss, and improves blood sugar.

Healthy eating . Following a diet low in saturated fat and trans fat (hydrogenated fat); and high in fiber, whole grains, legumes (such as beans and peas), fruits, vegetables, fish, foods rich in folic acid, and soy. Treat and capture health conditions. Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are thought to be high risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support
Article referenced source: webmd.com