Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease

According to the American Heart Association, “coronary heart disease rates in women after menopause are 2–3 times higher than in women of the same age before menopause.” A new study has found a link between age at menopause and cardiovascular risk factors. Women at higher risk of cardiovascular disease also entered menopause earlier.

• If the women were smokers at age 43, they began menopause an average of 1.6 years earlier than non-smokers.
• Each 20-point increased in cholesterol level before menopause was associated with a 0.14-year earlier onset of menopause.
• Women with higher blood pressure also had a younger age at menopause onset.
• Women who either gained or lost weight during the premenopausal period had a significantly earlier age of onset.

But which came first? The cardiovascular disease or the menopause?

Dr. Yvonne T. van der Schouw, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues suggest that it’s menopause and the period before menopause with its concomitant decrease in estrogen levels that probably led to the higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Regardless, Dr. Vera Bittner isn’t convinced since the age of menopause in women worldwide does not vary greatly unlike rates of cardiovascular disease. The contribution of menopause to cardiovascular disease is probably less than the influence of diet, exercise, smoking, weight, and other major lifestyle factors.

For more information on menopause, visit womenshealth.gov.
Reuters, May 17, 2006

Technorati Tags: women, menopause, heart disease, disease, health, heart, cardiovascular disease, cvd, high blood pressure, cholesterol, yvonne van der schouw, vera bittner