Women see their cardiovascular risks rise rapidly during menopause, according to a new study.
- A study shows that women are quickly catching up with men in terms of cardiovascular risk after menopause.
- This phenomenon would be linked to the drop in estrogen that women experience during this period, according to researchers.
- They add that their study highlights the importance of recognizing and treating warning signs of heart disease risk in postmenopausal women.
If women have less cardiovascular risk than men during their fertile years, they then quickly catch up after menopause, according to a new study. This work, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta from April 6 to 8, 2024, highlights the importance of knowing and treating the warning signs of heart disease in patients.
Heart: faster accumulation of plaques after menopause
Scientists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center analyzed data from 579 postmenopausal women who took statins to control their cholesterol levels. Their CAC score (numerical assessment of the extent of calcified atheromatous deposits observed in the walls of the arteries of the heart) had been measured twice at least one year apart. If the latter was higher, it indicated a greater risk of heart attack or other cardiac events.
The participants did not have any heart problems at the time of the first analysis. “To compare CAC score changes in men and women, each participant was matched with a man with a similar profile in terms of age, race, statin use, blood pressure and diabetes”specify the authors in a communicated.
Between the two exams, female patients with a baseline CAC between 1 and 99 saw their CAC increase by a median of eight points, double that of their male counterparts (4 points). Similarly, women with a baseline CAC between 100 and 399 showed a score increase of 31 points. For men in this group, the progression was only 16. There was no significant gender difference for those with a baseline CAC of 400 or greater.
“The results suggest that plaque accumulation is accelerated in postmenopausal women compared to men. This indicates that many women experience a large increase in the risk of heart problems”indicates the press release.
Heart health and menopause: better consideration of risks
Dr Ella Ishaaya, lead author of the study, suggests that this decline in heart health in postmenopausal women is linked to the drop in estrogen recorded at this time of life. “After menopause, women have much less estrogen and adopt a higher testosterone profile, explains the expert. This affects how your body stores fat, where it stores it, and how it processes it. It even impacts the way your blood clots. And all these [changements] increase your risk of developing heart disease.”
The specialist deplores the fact that women and many health professionals are unaware of this phenomenon. “Women are underscreened and undertreated, especially postmenopausal women, who face a multitude of new risk factors that many are unaware of. This study raises awareness of what these risk factors are and opens the door to the importance of increased calcium screening in the coronary arteries [des femmes].”
