{"id":620963,"date":"2024-05-18T19:30:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-18T16:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/"},"modified":"2024-05-18T19:30:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-18T16:30:02","slug":"heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"#Here&#8217;s why and what to do about it"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27d224402f3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27d224402f3\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/#Hormones_protect_hearts%E2%80%94until_they_dont\" >Hormones protect hearts\u2014until they don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/#Four_ways_hormone_changes_impact_heart_risk\" >Four ways hormone changes impact heart risk<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/#So_what_can_women_do\" >So, what can women do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it\/#What_about_hormone_therapy_medications\" >What about hormone therapy medications?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/elderly-women-walking.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/elderly-women-walking.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/elderly-women-walking.jpg\" alt=\"elderly women walking\" title=\"Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman&#8217;s reproductive years, typically between 45 and 55. As women <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach or experience menopause, common &#8220;change of life&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9244939\/\">concerns<\/a> include hot flushes, sweats and mood swings, brain fog and fatigue.<\/p>\n<p>But many women may not be aware of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32705886\/\">long-term effects<\/a> of menopause on the heart and blood vessels that make up the cardiovascular system. Heart disease accounts for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/what-we-do\/women-cvd\/\">35% of deaths<\/a> in women each year\u2014more than all cancers combined.<\/p>\n<p>What should women\u2014and their doctors\u2014know about these risks?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hormones_protect_hearts%E2%80%94until_they_dont\"><\/span>Hormones protect hearts\u2014until they don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As early as 1976, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/970770\/\">Framingham Heart Study<\/a> reported more than twice the rates of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal than pre-menopausal women of the same age. Early menopause (younger than age 40) also <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25331207\/\">increases heart risk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Before menopause, women tend to be protected by their circulating hormones: estrogen, to a lesser extent progesterone and low levels of testosterone.<\/p>\n<p>These sex hormones help to relax and dilate blood vessels, reduce inflammation and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC10503403\/\">improve lipid (cholesterol) levels<\/a>. From the mid-40s, a decline in these hormone levels can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/10362825\/\">contribute to unfavorable changes<\/a> in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight gain\u2014all risk factors for heart disease.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                        <!-- Google middle Adsense block --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Four_ways_hormone_changes_impact_heart_risk\"><\/span>Four ways hormone changes impact heart risk<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>1. Dyslipidemia<\/b>\u2013 Menopause often involves <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38002671\/\">atherogenic changes<\/a>\u2014an unhealthy imbalance of lipids in the blood, with higher levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), dubbed the &#8220;bad&#8221; cholesterol. There are also reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C)\u2014the &#8220;good&#8221; cholesterol that helps remove LDL-C from blood. These changes are a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC10503403\/\">major risk factor for heart attack or stroke<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. Hypertension<\/b>\u2014Declines in estrogen and progesterone levels during menopause contribute to narrowing of the large blood vessels on the heart&#8217;s surface, arterial stiffness and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35722103\/\">raise blood pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. Weight gain<\/b>\u2014Females are born with one to two million eggs, which develop in follicles. By the time they <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thewomens.org.au\/health-information\/fertility-information\/getting-pregnant\/ovulation-and-conception\">stop ovulating<\/a> in midlife, fewer than 1,000 remain. This depletion progressively changes fat distribution and storage, from the hips to the waist and abdomen. Increased waist circumference (greater than 80\u201388 cm) has been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18359190\/\">reported to contribute to heart risk<\/a>\u2014though it is not the only factor to consider.<\/p>\n<p><b>4. Comorbidities<\/b>\u2014Changes in body composition, sex hormone decline, increased food consumption, weight gain and sedentary lifestyles impair the body&#8217;s ability to effectively use insulin. This <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/11133069\/\">increases the risk<\/a> of developing metabolic syndromes such as type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>While risk factors apply to both genders, hypertension, smoking, obesity and type 2 diabetes confer a greater relative risk for heart disease in women.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_what_can_women_do\"><\/span>So, what can women do?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Every woman has a different level of baseline cardiovascular and metabolic risk pre-menopause. This is based on their genetics and family history, diet, and lifestyle. But all women can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8351755\/\">reduce their post-menopause heart risk with<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>regular moderate intensity exercise such as brisk walking, pushing a lawn mower, riding a bike or water aerobics for 30 minutes, four or five times every week<\/li>\n<li>a healthy heart diet with smaller portion sizes (try using a smaller plate or bowl) and more low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, fruit and whole grains<\/li>\n<li>plant sterols (unrefined vegetable oil spreads, nuts, seeds and grains) each day. A review of 14 clinical trials found plant sterols, at doses of at least 2 grams a day, produced an average reduction in serum LDL-C (bad cholesterol) of about 9\u201314%. This could reduce the risk of heart disease by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/10731187\/\">25% in two years<\/a><\/li>\n<li>less unhealthy (saturated or trans) fats and more low-fat protein sources (lean meat, poultry, fish\u2014especially oily fish high in omega-3 fatty acids), legumes and low-fat dairy<\/li>\n<li>less high-calorie, high-sodium foods such as processed or fast foods<\/li>\n<li>a reduction or cessation of smoking (nicotine or cannabis) and alcohol<\/li>\n<li>weight-gain management or prevention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- Google middle Adsense block --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_about_hormone_therapy_medications\"><\/span>What about hormone therapy medications?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hormone therapy remains the most effective means of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15495039\/\">managing hot flushes and night sweats<\/a> and is beneficial for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18418063\/\">slowing the loss of bone mineral density<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The decision to recommend estrogen alone or a combination of estrogen plus progesterone hormone therapy depends on whether a woman has had a hysterectomy or not. The choice also depends on whether the hormone therapy benefit outweighs the woman&#8217;s disease risks. Where symptoms are bothersome, hormone therapy has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33841322\/\">favorable or neutral effects on coronary heart disease risk<\/a> and medication risks are low for healthy women younger than 60 or within ten years of menopause.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the level of stroke or heart risk and the response to lifestyle strategies, some women may also require medication management to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8351755\/\">control high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels<\/a>. Up until the early 2000s, women were underrepresented in most outcome trials with lipid-lowering medicines.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25579834\/\">Cholesterol Treatment Trialists&#8217; Collaboration<\/a> analyzed 27 clinical trials of statins (medications commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol) with a total of 174,000 participants, of whom 27% were women. Statins were about as effective in women and men who had similar risk of heart disease in preventing events such as stroke and heart attack.<\/p>\n<p>Every woman approaching menopause should ask their GP for a 20-minute <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/news\/heart-health\">Heart Health Check<\/a> to help better understand their risk of a heart attack or stroke and get tailored strategies to reduce it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg><use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                                            This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/menopause-can-bring-increased-cholesterol-levels-and-other-heart-risks-heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-it-228010\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/228010\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Menopause can bring increased cholesterol levels and other heart risks: Here&#8217;s why and what to do about it (2024, May 18)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 18 May 2024<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2024-05-menopause-cholesterol-heart.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2024-05-menopause-cholesterol-heart.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman&#8217;s reproductive years, typically between 45 and 55. As women approach or experience menopause, common &#8220;change of life&#8221; concerns include hot flushes, sweats and mood swings, brain fog and fatigue. But many women may not be aware of the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":620964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/elderly-women-walking.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-620963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}