Does Menopause Increase The Risk of Heart Disease?
Before menopause, women's risk of heart disease is lower than that of men. However, after menopause, the risk increases. According to the American Heart Association, heart attacks in women usually occur within ten years after menopause.
Menopause is a condition in which women no longer experience menstruation or pregnancy. This period usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. However, it could be faster or slower. Menstruation stops because the ovaries no longer produce the hormone estrogen.
Estrogen and progesterone control the female reproductive system and influence other hormones and the body's organs and systems. Decreased estrogen can cause increased blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
As a result, muscle mass begins to lose flexibility, so blood vessels lose their elasticity. Hormonal imbalances can also cause irregular heartbeats during or after menopause. Furthermore, symptoms such as intense hot flashes and night sweats can indicate an increased cardiovascular risk.
This issue puts a woman at risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. Additionally, physical changes during menopause, such as weight gain, reduced sugar control, and difficulty sleeping, complicate the health issues that women face during this period.
What are the symptoms?
One of the most common symptoms of heart disease that men experience is severe chest pain. However, women do not experience these typical symptoms.
They usually become tired quickly, have heartburn, or feel weak. As a result, many women are unaware that they have heart disease.
Here are some symptoms of heart disease in menopausal women:
1. High cholesterol
According to AHA published in December 2020 on menopause and the risk of cardiovascular disease, menopausal women will have an increase in "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and a reduction in good cholesterol (HDL).
Increased “bad” cholesterol in the blood causes the formation of plaque (hardened deposits) in the arteries. This condition ultimately leads to a heart attack or stroke.
2. Increase belly fat
After age 40, women tend to gain weight, especially around the middle of the body. Increasing the amount of fat in the midsection and vital organs, such as the liver, can increase the risk of heart disease.
If your waist circumference is more than 90 cm, talk to your doctor about how to lower this figure.
3. Metabolic syndrome
At menopause, or even at the end of premenopause or perimenopause, when menstruation begins to be missed, women usually experience metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of various health conditions, including excess belly fat, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar.
In other words, menopause may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, which puts women at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
4. Depression
Depression can have adverse effects on the heart. Stress and anxiety can limit blood flow to the heart, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, as well as levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
5. Disturbed sleep
Restless sleep is often one of the first signs of menopause and perimenopause. Chronic sleep disorders can be a risk factor for heart disease. While sleeping, your blood pressure naturally decreases. If you don't sleep enough, your blood pressure can remain high for longer. High blood pressure—above 130/80 mmHg—can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Maintain your heart health for the long term
Women at high risk for heart disease should be more aware of maintaining their heart health. Therefore, it is essential for women in this period to have regular heart check-ups, especially if they have experienced the symptoms above.
Prevention can be most effective when done correctly.
1. Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
2. Regular aerobic exercise for up to 30 minutes per day, five times a week.
Like any other muscle, the heart must be exercised to stay strong and healthy. Regular activity or exercise ((ideally, at least 150 minutes per week) improves the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body.
Activity and exercise also help reduce many other risk factors, such as lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing stress, weight maintenance, and blood sugar control.
3. Eat a healthy diet
Begin reducing your sugar intake. Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet with more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Five servings a day reduces your risk by about 25%.
4. Control your weight if you are overweight
5. Consider menopausal hormone therapy for premenopausal women under 60.
This therapy not only relieves hot flashes and other symptoms of the menopausal transition but also helps to avoid heart disease.
6. Lowering blood pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as the silent killer because it raises the risk of heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure.
7. Lowering cholesterol
Cholesterol helps the body work properly. However, high cholesterol will cause plaque to build up in the arteries. This plaque can cause a heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
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Postmenopausal women face a unique set of challenges when it comes to heart health. However, with these lifestyle changes, you can live a healthy, fulfilling life while reducing your risk of heart disease.
If you have heart symptoms or complaints, click WhatsApp or visit GWS Medika Permata Hijau Clinic, a health clinic in Jakarta, to consult about your heart health.
GWS Medika Permata Hijau Clinic is equipped with EKG and treadmill services to maintain your heart health optimally.
