It’s Heart Health Month, and that means it’s time to focus on the health of our cardiovascular system.
Some of the changes menopause brings are widely known: hot flushes, the permanent end of periods, mood swings. Alongside these more overt menopausal symptoms, there’s a wide range of health impacts that occur less visibly as a result.
For women yet to reach menopause and those in the midst of it alike, it’s crucial to have a deep awareness of these changes. Menopause shifts the risk of certain chronic and acute health diseases, which impact the quality of your ongoing health. Understanding the risk factors surrounding menopause and cardiovascular health is the first step in building a proactive defence to support your heart through these changes.
Why are menopause and cardiovascular health linked?
Menopause is officially marked by a period of 12 months since your last period, signalling the end of your reproductive window as no more eggs remain in your ovaries. This then leads to a reduction in oestrogen levels, causing menopausal changes that are felt widely across the body.
Oestrogen is a hormone that’s often underrated in its importance to our overall health and well-being. Of course, we’re quick to associate it with female hormones and reproduction, but it’s not widely known that oestrogen has an effect on almost every one of our bodily tissues.
A drop in oestrogen can lead to an increase in the level of fat circulating in your blood, with this change placing women at risk for developing heart and circulatory system disorders. These disorders include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and an increased risk of stroke and heart disease.
The risk factors of cardiovascular diseases
Risk factors can be important signifiers of the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease. Common risk factors for heart disease include:
- Raised blood pressure or cholesterol levels
- Diabetes and prediabetes
- Smoking
- Excessive patterns of alcohol consumption
- Being overweight or obese
- Physical inactivity
- A family history of heart disease
For women, age also becomes a risk factor once they reach 55, with menopause contributing to a heightened risk of heart diseases. Women who have experienced early menopause are much more likely to develop heart disease when compared to women at the same age who haven’t yet been through menopause. This places all women in a risk profile across a wide range of cardiovascular health conditions, requiring careful and proactive management as we continue to age.
How to manage your cardiovascular health during menopause
Growing your awareness of the risks to your cardiovascular health can be sobering. However, it’s an important first step in understanding how you can support your heart health throughout this change experience. Here are the tools that can play an integral role in protecting your health throughout menopause.
Regular check-ups and screenings
Building a regular schedule of check-ups and screenings with your doctor is one of the most proactive ways you can keep an eye on your cardiovascular health. In these regular check-ups, your doctor will identify and manage any potential cardiovascular risks, including those specific to your genetic profile and medical history.
Your healthcare provider will regularly monitor your blood pressure and screen your cholesterol, as well as watch for any emerging conditions that could lead to long-term detrimental health impacts, including obesity and diabetes.
Making lifestyle changes
It’s never too late to make a positive change to your lifestyle. Making lifestyle changes is one way women can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease occurring as they age. Consider your exercise routine, review your diet and look to remove smoking or excessive alcohol consumption from your lifestyle. These steps can contribute across the short-term and long-term alike when it comes to the risk of cardiovascular disease development.
Medications and hormone therapy
In recent years, key research has highlighted the positive opportunities presented by hormone therapy. Body identical hormones can play a significant role in your overall health and well-being throughout menopause’s various stages, with many women finding it helps alleviate symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. Medication can also assist in lowering cholesterol levels and supporting the health and sustainability of your cardiovascular system, often playing a vital role as menopause continues to develop.
Stress reduction
It’s probably no surprise that stress reduction can play a role in supporting cardiovascular health during menopause. When stress triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol, it can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. These hormones lead to constrictions within blood vessels, as well as increased blood pressure and a faster heart rate. As these are factors that can lead to an increased risk of blood clots, looking to remove stress triggers is a simple but powerful way to support your health on a daily basis.
This is also one of the easiest ways to support your heart health each day. By finding a stress reduction technique that works for you, you can increase your calm wherever you are, using tools such as meditation, breathwork and yoga to support a healthy nervous system.
How to be a part of Heart Health Month
February is Heart Health Month in Australia, serving as an important reminder of the crucial role a healthy heart plays in our long-term well-being. You can support the health of your friends, family and yourself by encouraging them to get a Heart Health Check. This 20-minute health assessment will measure your risk of heart attack over the coming years, identifying associated risk factors and how you can reduce the risk.
Recommended by the Heart Foundation for everyone aged 45 years and older, make a booking this February to check on the health of your heart – it needs your care as much as you need it.
Learn more about how you can support your health throughout menopause at the Australian Menopause Centre.
About The Author - AMC Team
Our team consists of doctors, nurses, program assistants, naturopaths and nutritionists that join their wealth of knowledge to offer our patients and website visitors interesting and insightful articles to assist you understand the symptoms you are experiencing and how to relieve them.