How menopausal women can reduce risks of cardiovascular diseases – Physicians

The menstrual cycle of a woman ends at the menopause, which is accompanied by a number of sometimes painful symptoms.

Nonetheless, medical professionals have offered a number of strategies for menopausal women to lower their chance of cardiovascular illness, emphasising the necessity for women to keep an eye on their health, particularly in middle age, in order to prevent these conditions.

According to the doctors, this is important since middle age is a pivotal period when early intervention methods should be put into place to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease during menopause.

They pointed out that although hormonal alterations raise the risk of CVD, early intervention is necessary to prevent these conditions.

According to the specialists, screening for cardiovascular disease is best done throughout the perimenopausal and menopausal stages of life.

Early menopause is commonly known as the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and this aspect should be taken seriously during a medical consultation and should not be disregarded, the authors said.

Menopause is a natural biological process that signifies the end of the menstrual cycle and is diagnosed once a person has gone 12 months without having a menstrual period, according to the Mayo Clinic online medical portal.

Menopause can occur in people in their 40s or 50s, however 51 is the average age in the US. However, the mental and physical side effects of menopause, such as hot flashes, might impair your emotional well-being, interfere with your sleep, or deplete your vitality. The Clinic stated that there are numerous efficient therapies available, ranging from hormone therapy to lifestyle modifications.

Furthermore, according to a 2017 World Health Organisation report, cardiovascular illnesses account for 17.9 million fatalities worldwide, or 31% of all deaths, and are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, followed by cancer.

Conditions such as coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular illness, rheumatic heart disease, arterial disease, peripheral arterial disease, congenital heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism are included in the global health body's list of CVDs.

Doctors who discussed the matter, however, noted that although menopause is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), research has demonstrated that oestrogens, in particular, are cardioprotective and have important functions in both the reproductive and non-reproductive systems.

Menopause is linked to elevated blood pressure, body mass index, obesity, and body fat distribution, according to Dr. Cynthia Okafor, a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at Epe General Hospital in Epe, Lagos. She stressed the importance of routine monitoring to prevent CVD.

Although the brain, bone, muscles, heart, and liver may synthesise hormones, Okafor stated that early management is important to lower the risk of cardiovascular illnesses in menopausal women.

The corpus luteum, a transient cluster of cells that occurs on your ovary each menstrual cycle if you're still experiencing a menstrual period, as well as the placenta are the main places where sex hormones like oestrogens are made prior to the onset of menopause, the speaker explained.

"This doesn't end there; the brain, heart, and liver also produce hormones. However, the risk of cardiovascular disease rises following menopause when oestrogen levels are declining and these pro-inflammatory hormones are lacking."

She asserts that the development of cardiovascular disease is significantly influenced by the three primary types of estrogens—estriol, estradiol, and estrone.

Given that the expression of endogenous estradiol levels differs between the sexes, she pointed out that estradiol has a preventive effect against cardiovascular disease in women who are of childbearing age.

In response to questions about the symptoms, she stated that irregular periods are normal and frequent throughout the premenopause. She also mentioned that occasionally, the periods can skip a month, come back for a few months, and then resume every few months.

This is natural, but regrettably, it could also be an indication of cervical cancer. Some women may be upset about this. Additionally, periods typically occur on shorter cycles, meaning they are closer together. Pregnancy is still possible despite these erratic periods, the woman stated.

She listed hot flashes, nocturnal sweats, irregular periods, dry vagina, mood swings, weight gain, decreased metabolism, thinning hair, and dry skin as additional menopause symptoms.

In addition, the consultant gynaecologist recommended getting a pregnancy test for any premenopausal woman who had skipped a period but wasn't sure when menopause would start.

According to Okafor, women must understand how to manage the menopause, a biological process that is natural for them all, in order to avoid acquiring CVD, which is something they are prone to.

She urged menopausal women to get examined frequently, emphasising the value of both routine exercise and heart health tests in keeping a healthy heart.

"To help lower their risk of heart disease, women should try to engage in physical fitness exercises for at least 150 minutes per week; eat a healthy diet and stay positive," Okafor continued.

Dr. Akinsanya Olusegun-Joseph, a consultant cardiologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Idi-Araba, backed up this assertion by stating that the risk of cardiovascular disease rises when oestrogen levels fall.

Olusegun-Joseph pointed out that heart disease is the primary cause of death for both men and women, making it crucial for maintaining a normal weight, eating a nutritious food, and engaging in regular physical activity.

Menopausal women need to eat less and exercise more simply to preserve good vision, according to the physician, who said that many women gain weight during the menopausal transition and following menopause due to weak metabolisms.

He cited research indicating that, compared to women who achieve menopause at the age of 50–51, women who experience premature menopause had a considerably higher risk of a non-fatal cardiovascular event before the age of 60, but not after the age of 70. In clinical practice, women going through early menopause need to be closely monitored. Furthermore, a woman's menopausal age may be a significant consideration when determining her risk of cardiovascular disease.

A study by Kamila Ryczkowska et al. titled "Menopause and women's cardiovascular health: is it an obvious relationship?" was published in the National Library of Medicine. confirms that menopausal women may be more susceptible to cardiovascular problems due to hormonal changes that occur during the menopause.

According to the study, although cardiovascular disorders are frequent in both sexes, there are distinctions between them in terms of the aetiology, clinical symptoms, and therapeutic response.

Due of protection during the reproductive stage of life, women experience heart disease later than males. The risk rises as they approach menopause. In women, oestrogen has a heart disease-prevention impact.

Therefore, in the majority of cases, the risk of CVD increases after menopause. The work that is being presented highlights how crucial the menopausal stage is at a time when the risk of CVD is rising.

"It also highlights the significance of keeping an eye on middle-aged women's health, as this is a crucial period when early intervention techniques should be used to lower the risk of CVD."