Heart Health and Menopause
Written by Sarah Moloney
Pre-menopausal women experience lower rates of cardiovascular disease than men or post-menopausal women. During menopause, hormonal changes occur, and our oestrogen levels decline. These hormonal changes can impact our blood vessels and heart and increase the overall risk of cardiovascular disease. The earlier we find ourselves in menopause, the greater the risk of developing heart disease. Here's how menopause symptoms and cardiovascular health are related:
Oestrogen is cardioprotective, this means that it helps keep our blood vessels healthy, our blood pressure under control and our cholesterol in check. When we eat carbohydrates, it helps regulate our blood sugar levels and prevents the development of plaques which can cause blockages in our arteries and increases our blood pressure, benefitting overall cardiac function. When our oestrogen levels decline, we lose some of this protection and our risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks and strokes increase.
Weight gain and body composition changes that occur at menopause, such as an increase in abdominal fat are associated with a greater risk of developing heart disease.
As we age, we experience metabolic changes that increase our risk of developing type 2 diabetes, another risk factor for heart disease.
Menopausal symptoms such as disturbed sleep, fatigue, body image issues, weight gain, over-eating due to increased sugar cravings and joint pain can mean our motivation to exercise goes out the window. Inactivity, combined with smoking, too much alcohol and stress can impact our heart health
Hot flashes and night sweats, which are common symptoms of menopause for lots of us, have been linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease. These symptoms seem to happen more frequently in those with early menopause (before age 40). The more severe and frequent these hot flashes and night sweats are, the greater the risk to our heart health. This is why it is so important to recognise these symptoms, record them and report them to our doctors. Including a daily serving of phytoestrogens (e.g., flax or soy) or reducing caffeine, alcohol, hot or spicy foods could be worth a try if you are in the thick of it with hot flashes.
We are fortunate to have a wide array of choices available to us when it comes to maintaining a healthy heart. Stress management techniques like meditation, yoga, and counselling can prove to be invaluable during the menopause transition. While it may be challenging in the present moment, staying hydrated, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption are all choices that reap long-term benefits. When it comes to our heart health, simple modifications to our nutrition and increasing our daily exercise are the most effective tools at our disposal. Don’t forget that detecting and managing your menopausal symptoms is so important for your long term health. For helpful tips on regaining control over your cardiovascular health, we encourage you to explore our March and April blog posts.