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Heart Disease Risk after Menopause: What Every Woman Should Know
February is American Heart Month, and though you may think of heart disease as a condition mostly affecting men, more women die from it than from all forms of cancer combined. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of women (and men, too), regardless of race or ethnicity.
At A Woman’s Wellspring in Carmel, California, Stephanie Taylor, MD, PhD, and her staff strive to help women with all of their health issues, including providing primary care and women’s health services. Menopause is an enormous physical transition, and understanding how it affects heart health is vital for protecting one's heart health.
The menopause-heart health connection
The risk of heart disease dramatically increases around the age of 50, the age of natural menopause for most women. This fact indicates some association between menopause and declining heart health. Researchers have questioned whether complex hormonal changes, general changes of aging, or other factors increase risk and discovered that some specific factors make a big difference.
For example, women who experience natural menopause later have a lower risk of developing heart disease, while women who experience it earlier tend to have a greater risk—but they still don’t know exactly why. Other things that impact your heart health after menopause include:
- Having more belly fat
- High triglycerides
- Low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Obesity
- A more sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- A family history of heart disease
As you can see, several of those things can be modified to lower your risk.
Incorporate or increase exercise
Existing guidelines for physical activity are at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, which is equivalent to a brisk, 30-minute walk each day. Or, if you prefer more vigorous workouts, 75 minutes of higher intensity exercise per week—or some combination of the two.
Exercise reduces the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. It also tends to improve mood and sleep quality, both critical for overall health.
Finding an activity that you enjoy is the key to building an exercise habit. If you dread it, you’re more likely to skip or avoid it. Consider exercising with a friend or trying new activities to find something you look forward to doing.
Other lifestyle changes
Check your diet and make sure you’re focusing on vegetables and fruits, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains. You may want to track your food intake for a week or two and see where you might make minor changes to improve your nutrition.
Quit smoking if you need to, and get treatment for any other conditions you have. For example, getting it under control is crucial to protecting your heart if you have high blood pressure.
Hormone replacement therapy
You may have heard that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is dangerous, but the fact is it really depends on your situation. Some women see many more benefits than risks with HRT. For example, younger women who experience menopause early due to surgery have a lower risk of heart disease with HRT.
Dr. Taylor takes a personal approach to your care and considers numerous factors before recommending whether or not you should consider HRT. Discussing your personal situation, medical history, and even your family history helps her understand your overall health so that she can provide guidance based on your individual circumstances.
If you have questions about how to protect your heart health in the years leading up to and throughout menopause, schedule an appointment at A Woman’s Wellspring.