ANI
16 Nov 2019, 19:33 GMT+10
Washington D.C. [USA], Nov 16 (ANI): A new research suggests that attaining menopause before the age of 40 is linked to several heart conditions in women. The study was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019 in Philadelphia.
In the largest, single study to-date of diverse heart disease risks relative to age at menopause, researchers used the UK Biobank to examine data on more than 144,000 postmenopausal women (average age 60), including about 4,900 women who experienced menopause "naturally" before age 40 and about 640 who entered menopause before age 40 after their ovaries were removed surgically.
During an average of seven years of follow-up, researchers found that women who had experienced premature menopause were significantly more likely to develop conventional heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high levels of "bad" cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes.
Even after accounting for conventional risk factors, women with premature menopause still had a significantly increased risk of coronary artery disease, heart failure, thickening and narrowing of the aortic valve, atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm) and blood clots forming in the legs or lungs.
The heart disease risks were higher for women who experienced menopause due to surgery compared to natural menopause. Some of this risk difference may be explained by differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Whether or not a woman took hormones for menopausal symptoms did not change the cardiovascular risks.
Menopausal age prior to age 50 had a dose-dependent effect on cardiovascular disease risk, meaning risk continued to increase with younger menopausal ages and increased cardiovascular risks lasted for decades after menopause.
"Our study reinforces the importance of menopause history in informing a woman's risk of future heart disease," said Michael Honigberg, M.D., M.P.P., lead author of the study and a cardiology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
"Women should make sure their physician knows their menopause history, particularly if they experienced menopause before age 40. History of premature menopause should prompt physicians to refine the patient's estimated future risks for heart disease and to work toward lowering their heart disease risks," added Honigberg.
He said early evaluations could lead to intervention and medication recommendations.
"Whether or not medications are warranted, eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly may be especially important for women with a history of premature menopause," Honigberg said. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Boston Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Boston Star.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
Washington, DC [US], July 2 (ANI): Rapper and singer Post Malone suffered a fall onstage while trying to toast a fan during his concert,...
(250630) -- LENOX (U.S.), June 30, 2025 (Xinhua) -- People visit an outdoor exhibition Solar Terms: Contemporary Ink Art Event in Lenox,...
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Around 95 per cent of Indian companies rank innovation among their top three priorities amid ongoing...
BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- In a workshop in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, rows of fermentation tanks are filled with...
Washington DC [US], June 29 (ANI): A scripted adaptation of the Karen Read murder case, which ended in a recent acquittal, is in the...