Menopause and Heart Disease – A Potentially deadly Combination

Menopause marks a new phase of life for women. However, what some women may not realize, is that menopause also marks an increased risk for heart disease. Heart diseases risk rises for everyone as they age, but for women symptoms can become more evident after the onset of menopause.

Association between Menopause and Heart Health
In times of perimenopausal years, estrogen is protective of the heart; it relaxes the arteries and promotes good cholesterol. But after the menopausal phase, the levels of Estrogen decline, your heart blood vessels become less elastic. Consequently, blood pressure starts rising, putting strain on the heart. A reduction in estrogen levels also afflicts the cholesterol profile. The levels of HDL decrease, while the levels of LDL and triglyceride escalate, thereby, increasing the risk of cardiac arrest. Also, during the perimenopausal and menopausal phase, women tend to become resistant to insulin as well. Consequently, they may develop diabetes which again puts women at a bigger risk for heart diseases. Menopause also puts a break on the metabolic rate, and this may lead to weight gain, especially around the belly. This further exerts stress on your heart and raises the risk of heart diseases.
Thankfully, it is possible to turn back the clock on your heart! Almost 50 % of all deaths due to heart attack can be prevented by making specific changes in their lifestyle. So, take your heart health into your own hands.

How can Menopausal women reduce the Risk of Heart Disease?
A healthful lifestyle goes a long way in preventing heart disease in women. Including the following tips into your everyday life may help you reduce your risk of heart disease during and after menopause:

• Eat well – Follow a diet low in saturated fat; low in trans-fat (partially hydrogenated fats); and high in fibre, whole grains, legumes (such as beans and peas), fruits, vegetables, fish, folate-rich foods, and soy.
• Maintaining healthy weight – The more you are over your ideal weight, the harder your heart has to work to give your body nutrients. So, maintaining a healthy weight is advisable.
• Exercise – Being active or exercising regularly for at least 30 minutes helps improve how well the heart pumps blood through your body. Additionally, it can also help reduce many other risk factors.
• Avoid or quit smoking – Smoking is hard on everyone, but it has more impact on women than on men. They are twice the risk of heart attack than non-smokers.
• Stay Positive – Menopause can lead to a huge life change for some women. Sometimes after menopause, women can suffer from depression. Rather than getting depressed, try to embrace this time in your life by eating right, exercising, and socializing with friends.

Over to you:
Menopause is a critical point of time to take good care of yourself and your heart. Precisely, women, who follow a heart healthy diet, exercise regularly and watch their weight, can significantly cut back on their risk of developing heart diseases as they age.