Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021 - 38

38
Fact or Fiction
THE TRUTH ABOUT
Menopause and
Heart Disease
EXPLORE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN
THIS MIDLIFE TRANSITION AND
CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS
BY KARI REDFIELD
Menopause is a critical
time for women to take
a comprehensive look at
their health. Signaling the end of
a woman's reproductive years, this
transition usually happens between
ages 45 and 55, and it's during this
phase that risk increases for bone
loss, diabetes, sleep disturbances
and other health issues.
Heart disease-the top killer of
women-is of particular concern,
which is why the American Heart
Association recommends that
menopausal women talk to their
healthcare providers to assess their
cardiovascular risk and work to
improve their heart health. Although
90 percent of women will have one
or more risk factors for heart disease,
80 percent of cardiovascular diseases
are preventable, the AHA says.
Let's look at the connection
between menopause and
heart disease.
Menopausal women have a
higher risk of heart disease.
FACT. " Th e menopause transition
is a time where there are changes
in women's hormones, and there
FALL 2021 VIM & VIGOR
are increases in LDL [bad] cholesterol
and triglycerides, " says Nieca
Goldberg, MD, a spokeswoman for
the AHA. " And around this time,
blood pressure goes up and women
start to gain weight around the middle. "
Th ese factors increase cardiovascular
risk.
The hormone estrogen may
help protect the heart.
FACT. Estrogen, a female sex hormone
that peaks during childbearing
age, is thought to keep blood
vessels healthy and protect against
heart disease, the AHA says.
As estrogen production drops
aſt er menopause, however, a woman's
heart disease risk starts to rise.
Given this possible connection,
researchers are looking into whether
hormone replacement therapy, or
HRT, a treatment containing female
hormones, might have heart health
benefi ts for menopausal women.
Results have been mixed. Some
studies have shown that certain
combinations of HRT may have
cardiovascular benefi ts early in
menopause but not later. On the
other hand, the Women's Health
Hormone
Therapy:
What You
Should Know
If you're dealing with hot
flashes, night sweats, sleep
disruption, depression or
anxiety, talk to your provider
about whether hormone
therapy would be helpful
and safe.
Hormone therapy replaces
some of the female hormones
lowered during menopause
and can significantly improve
common symptoms of menopause,
says JoAnn Pinkerton,
MD, director of the UVA
Midlife Health Clinic. The
therapy may reduce the risk
of adult-onset diabetes,
bone loss and fracture, while
providing cardiovascular
benefits and potentially
reducing brain fog.
For healthy menopausal
women younger than 60
or within 10 years of menopause,
the benefits of hormone
therapy often outweigh
the risks, Dr. Pinkerton says.
But if you're at higher risk
of breast cancer, heart
disease or blood clots,
you'll need an evaluation
to determine whether it
is safe for you.
Talk to a
UVA Expert
If menopausal symptoms are
disrupting your life, you'll want
to seek the expertise of providers
at the UVA Midlife Health
Clinic. Call 434-243-4720 to
schedule an appointment.

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021

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