DUnsumer menopause and in previous years of perimenopause, all attention usually focuses on vampires, vaginal and vulvar disorders, on the increase in weight. Little regard, however, is dedicated to cardiovascular prevention and heart health. The advice of the Professor Giuseppe Massimo Claudio Rosanospecialist in diseases of the cardiovascular apparatus, professor of pharmacology University of San Raffaele Roma, president Heart Failure Association from the European Cardiology Society.
Why is the heart of women before menopause is healthier?
Menopause represents a crucial moment for women’s cardiovascular health, mainly due to the drastic decline in estrogen hormones that occurs at this stage. The estrogen play a fundamental protective role for the cardiovascular system during the fertile age.
During the reproductive years, estrogen help to keep the walls of the arteries elastic, reduce the risk of arrhythmias, favor the production of “good” cholesterol (HDL) and contribute to keeping the “bad” one under control (LDL, LP (A)). Furthermore, These hormones have anti -inflammatory properties and help to adjust the blood pressure. It is for this reason that women in premenopause generally have a lower cardiovascular risk than men of the same age.
What happens to the heart in menopause?
With the arrival of menopause, however, this protective shield fails. There estrogen deficiency involves several unfavorable changes: it increases the arterial rigiditychanges the lipid profile with an increase in Total cholesterol and triglyceridescan increase the blood pressure And an accumulation of abdominal fat. All these factors contribute to accelerating the atherosclerosis process, or the thickening and hardening of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack and stroke.
Increases cardiovascular risk: how to improve lifestyle
It is no coincidence that the statistics highlight how the risk of cardiovascular diseases in women significantly increases after menopausegradually reaching levels similar to male ones. For this reason, it is essential that women in this phase of life pays particular attention to cardiovascular prevention through a healthy lifestyle, regular medical checks and, when necessary, adequate medical therapy.
The hormonal changes that affect the heart and blood vessels in menopause
During menopause, the female body crosses a real hormonal revolution that has direct repercussions on the cardiovascular system. The main protagonist of these changes is the collapse of estrogen, but it is not the only hormone involved.
Estrogen
Estrogen hormones, produced mainly by the ovaries, suffer a Drastic drop that can reach 90% compared to previous levels. This decrease has immediate consequences on blood vessels: the arteries lose elasticity and become more rigid, while the protective effect that these hormones exerted on cholesterol is disappeared. Without estrogen, in fact, the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol increases and decreases the “good” one (HDL), creating the ideal conditions for the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
Progesterone
The progesterone, the other main female hormone, also decreases drastically. This contributes to increasing sodium retention and water, with repercussions on blood pressure. At the same time, an increase in cortisol often occurs, the stress hormone, which can encourage the accumulation of abdominal fat and the pressure of the pressure.
Insulin and thyroid hormones
Insulin, although not a sex hormone, undergoes important changes: cells become less sensitive to its action, promoting weight gain and preparing to diabetes, both cardiovascular risk factors.
Thyroid hormones can also undergo alterations at this stage, influencing metabolism and heart rate.
All these hormonal changes unfavorably modify cardiovascular healthexplaining why it is so important to carefully monitor these parameters during and after the menopous transition, to intervene promptly with targeted preventive strategies.