Women who go through the menopause before the age of 46 may be more than twice as likely to develop a heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular events later in life, reports Reuters.
Women should be aware that early menopause is a potential risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death among American women, says Dr. Melissa Wellons of the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
The researcher emphasizes that women should put more effort into working on modifiable risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as exercise more and follow a healthy diet.
Together with a team of scientists, Dr. Wellons studied over 2,5 thousand. women who were between 2000 and 45 years of age at the time of the study (84). Earlier menopause was over 28%. of them, while in the case of 10 percent. it was caused by the removal of the ovaries. Before the age of 55, none of the women had had a heart attack, stroke, bypass surgery, or symptoms of ischemic heart disease.
At the last meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego, scientists reported that after the age of 55, 6 percent of people experienced cardiovascular episodes. women who were menopausal earlier and 2,6 percent. women who have not yet gone through the menopause or have gone through it after the age of 47. The risk was more than doubled when weight gain was also considered.
Hormone replacement therapy did not contribute to reducing the risk. Until recently, it was very often prescribed to women to reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, which increases after menopause. However, the situation changed after 2002, when the Women’s Health Initiative research showed that hormone therapy increases, among others, the risk of ovarian and breast cancer.
According to scientists, the question of the age at which the patient went through the menopause should become a routine activity in doctors’ offices.
These were observational studies, so we cannot conclude that early menopause in some way causes heart disease. The results, however, suggest that the age at which a woman reaches the menopause may be taken into account when assessing the future risk of cardiovascular disease, Dr. Wellons noted. (PAP)