The more severe the symptoms of menopause, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Menopause.
Researchers at the University of Colorado in the United States conducted a study with 138 healthy women, divided according to the severity of their menopausal symptoms. They found that the arteries were more rigid and that the endothelium, the layer of cells that line the blood vessels, (two markers of cardiovascular illnesses) was progressively less healthy throughout all stages of menopause. They also observed that the symptoms of menopause and depression were most important at the end of pre-menopause and at the start of menopause.
A link between the severity of menopause symptoms and heart disease
Importantly, scientists have noticed that the severity of symptoms, such as the frequency of hot flashes menopause was associated with a high risk of heart disease.
Women entering menopause experience profound hormonal changes coinciding with changes that increase risk factors for cardiovascular illnesses as’hypertension, weight gain and resistance toinsulin. This could help explain the acceleration of vascular aging during the transition from menopause.
“With the fluctuation and decline of estrogen at the time of menopause, it is important to control mood, blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar and body composition (fat mass, lean mass) because increased risk of abdominal fat, “said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the University of Virginia and director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
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