Menopause and Heart Disease

Menopause is a phase every woman must go through when they age. Usually occurring between 45-55 years of age, menopause is diagnosed after a woman has gone one full year without a menstrual period. During this stage, the production of Oestrogen and Progesterone hormones decreases in the body.

Many menopausal women experience both physical and emotional symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Hot flashes
• Dizziness
• Vaginal dryness
• Variation in sleeping patterns
• Drastic mood changes
• Noticeable weight gain
• Uncontrolled leakage of urine

Menopause also increases the risk of health problems:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Osteoporosis
• Atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries)
• Urinary incontinence
• High blood pressure
• Deteriorating oral health

How Menopause Increases the Risk of Heart Disease

Women who have reached menopause have a markedly higher risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack than their pre-menopausal counterparts. This is because of the drop in the female sex hormone oestrogen following menopause.

Oestrogen is thought to have a protective effect on women’s hearts by causing women to have, relative to men, a lower systolic blood pressure, a lower level of LDL (bad) cholesterol, and a higher level of HDL (good) cholesterol. Consequently, less cholesterol deposits build up in the arteries of women, thereby reducing their risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Help?

Until recently, it was thought that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) consisting of either oestrogen alone or oestrogen combined with progestin would protect post-menopausal women against heart disease in the same way as natural oestrogen does before the onset of menopause.

Studies conducted by the United States’ Women’s Health Initiative in 2002 and 2003 have, however, cast doubt on this belief. These studies suggest that HRT in the form of oestrogen alone has no impact either way on heart disease in menopausal women. More alarmingly, the research indicates that taking oestrogen alone appears to increase the risk of stroke and uterine cancer, while combination HRT consisting of oestrogen plus progestin may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Managing Heart Health After Menopause

• Go for regular health screenings

  Have your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked to catch any warning signs and stay on top of your health. Be sure to follow your doctor’s advice.

• Eat healthily and reduce salt intake

  • During menopause and beyond, a woman’s’daily diet plays an even more critical role in their health and well-being, as they typically gain weight, experience increased water retention, and have increased risk of heart disease and hypertension.
  • Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and another quarter with whole-grain.
  • Limit your salt intake to less than 5g (1 teaspoon) a day to manage your blood pressure levels.

• Watch your cholesterol

  Opt for foods low in saturated fat, such as lean meat, fruit and vegetables.

• Choose water over sugar-sweetened drinks

  Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.

• Maintain a healthy weight

  Excess weight increases your risk of CVD as well as diabetes.

• Exercise

  Tone up as you tune in to the TV. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

• Stop smoking

  Do not give in to peer pressure and avoid second-hand smoke.

• Do not be discouraged by a slip

  If you had an unhealthy meal or missed your exercise schedule, just get back on track immediately with more determination to work towards a healthy lifestyle.

• Monitor your progress

  Keep track of your achievements in exercise, weight loss or smoking cessation. When you reach a goal, reward yourself by doing something that you enjoy.

• Encourage stress-free moments

  While stress has not been shown to be a direct risk factor for CVD, it is related to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, physical inactivity, and overeating. Therefore, it is important to manage it well.

观看由田宛仙医生和黄钟玮医生讲说的”健康讲座：女性更年期与心血管疾病的关联”。
Watch our Facebook / YouTube Live Webinar on “The link between menopause and heart health” by Dr Chan Wan Xian and Dr Huang Zhong Wei.