The menopause transition brings an end to a woman’s menstrual cycle, accompanied by various symptoms that can be uncomfortable.

Healthcare providers highlight the importance of proactive measures for menopausal women to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Midlife is a critical period for monitoring health and implementing early intervention strategies to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk during menopause. Hormonal changes increase this risk, but early prevention is key.

Regular health check-ups during the perimenopausal and menopausal phases offer valuable opportunities to assess cardiovascular risk.

Notably, early menopause is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and this should be a red flag during medical consultations.

Menopause, a natural biological process, marks the end of menstruation, officially diagnosed after a year without a menstrual period.

“Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States. But the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, lower your energy, or affect emotional health. There are many effective treatments available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy,” the Clinic stated.

According to the 2017 World Health Organization report, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for approximately 31% of global deaths, with an estimated 17.9 million fatalities annually.

The WHO categorizes cardiovascular diseases as including conditions such as coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, among others.

However, Wakadaily learnt that, medical professionals highlight that the increased risk of cardiovascular disease coinciding with menopause can be mitigated by the cardioprotective effects of female hormones, particularly estrogens, which play crucial roles in both reproductive and non-reproductive systems.

Dr. Cynthia Okafor, a Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at Epe General Hospital, emphasizes the importance of regular monitoring to prevent cardiovascular disease, as menopause is linked to increased blood pressure, body mass index, obesity, and body fat distribution.

While hormones can be synthesized in non-reproductive tissues, early intervention is crucial to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases among menopausal women.

She mentioned, “Before the onset of menopause, sex hormones such as estrogens are manufactured mainly in the ovaries, placenta as well as the corpus luteum, which is a temporary collection of cells that forms on your ovary each menstrual cycle if you’re still getting a menstrual period.

“This doesn’t stop there; the hormones are also created by the brain, heart, and the liver, but the risk of cardiovascular disease increases after menopause when the level of estrogens is dropping and these protective hormones are deficient.

Dr. Okafor explained that estrone, estradiol, and estriol are the three main types of estrogens that play a crucial role in cardiovascular development.

She highlighted that estradiol, in particular, has a protective effect against cardiovascular disease in women of reproductive age, and its levels differ naturally between men and women.

When it comes to symptoms, Dr. Okafor noted that irregular menstrual cycles during premenopause are typical and expected, often characterized by periods skipping a month or several months before resuming a regular monthly cycle for a few months.

“Unfortunately, this could also be a sign of cervical cancer and some women may be agitated about this, but it is just normal. Periods also tend to happen on shorter cycles, so they are closer together. Despite these irregular periods, pregnancy is possible,” she stated.

Dr. Okafor highlighted that menopause is characterized by various symptoms, including irregular menstrual cycles, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood swings, weight gain, slowed metabolism, thinning hair, and dry skin.

She emphasized that women of premenopausal age who miss a period should consider taking a pregnancy test, as they may be pregnant.

Dr. Okafor stressed that menopause is a natural biological process that all women will experience, and it’s crucial to navigate it wisely to avoid developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which women are more susceptible to during this stage.

She encouraged women to prioritize regular heart health screenings and engage in regular exercise to maintain a healthy heart.

“Women should try to engage in physical fitness exercises at least 150 minutes per week to help lower their risk of heart disease; eat a healthy diet and stay positive,” Okafor stated.

Dr. Akinsanya Olusegun-Joseph, a Consultant Cardiologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, concurred with Dr. Okafor’s stance, emphasizing that the decline in estrogen levels increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

He stressed that heart disease is the leading cause of death in both women and men, making regular physical activity, a balanced diet, and maintaining a healthy weight crucial.

Dr. Olusegun-Joseph noted that many women experience weight gain during and after menopause due to slower metabolism, and therefore, menopausal women need to adopt a healthier lifestyle, including eating less and exercising more, to maintain overall well-being.

He cited studies showing that women who experience premature menopause have a significantly higher risk of non-fatal cardiovascular events before age 60, but not after age 70, compared to women who reach menopause at the typical age of 50-51 years.

“Early menopausal women require close monitoring in clinical practice. Moreover, the age at which a woman reaches menopause may be considered as an important factor in assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease in women.”

Research published in the National Library of Medicine by Kamila Ryczkowska and colleagues, titled “Menopause and women’s cardiovascular health: is it an obvious relationship?” confirms that hormonal fluctuations during menopause increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in women of menopausal age.

The study highlights that while cardiovascular diseases affect both men and women, there are significant differences between the sexes in terms of symptoms, underlying biology, and treatment outcomes, emphasizing the importance of considering these distinctions in addressing women’s cardiovascular health.

“Women develop heart diseases later than men because of the protection in the reproductive phase of their life. Once they enter menopause, the risk increases. Estrogen provides a protective effect against heart disease in women.

“Therefore, the risk of CVD increases after menopause in most cases. The presented work emphasises the importance of the menopausal period as the time of increasing CVD risk.

“It also emphasizes the importance of monitoring the health of women in their middle age, a critical time in which early intervention strategies should be implemented to reduce the risk of CVD.”