Cholesterol & Triglycerides in Menopause

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels seem to increase with menopause, potentially explaining postmenopausal women's increased risk for health problems related to these levels, most notably heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends a healthy diet and exercise as the best ways to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, but you should consider other factors as well.

What They Are

• Cholesterol, a soft, fatlike substance, is found in your bloodstream and cells. Blood cholesterol is made in the liver and other internal organs. It comes in two classifications: The kind transported through your body by high density lipoprotein (HDL) is the "good" kind, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" variety. High-density lipoproteins carry cholesterol away from arteries and protect you from heart attack and stroke, while LDL cholesterol joins with fats to clog your arteries. Triglycerides, the most common type of fat in the body, are a major source of energy. As with cholesterol, your body makes triglycerides, but you can also get them from food---and sometimes get too much, depending on the types of food you eat.

Menopause and Heart Health

• Before menopause, your natural estrogen helps manage your cholesterol levels and the lipid profile overall. But during and after menopause, estrogen levels change permanently, and as a result your cholesterol and triglycerides levels rise, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke and other problems. Because a woman's risk for heart disease increases dramatically after menopause, your doctor may recommend that you begin cholesterol screenings during menopause.

The Dangers of Cholesterol and Triglycerides

• Foods full of saturated fat, trans fat and additional cholesterol may give you more triglycerides and cholesterol than your body can handle. Having too much increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you have high cholesterol, heart problems or diabetes or are overweight, you probably have high triglycerides as well.

What the Research Says

• Some doctors recommend hormone therapy after menopause to regulate estrogen levels, and thereby help control cholesterol and triglycerides. Your doctor may also prescribe medication to lower your lipid and cholesterol levels if diet and exercise alone do not work. For example, statins reduce cholesterol levels by lowering your body's cholesterol production while simultaneously boosting your liver's ability to remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from the bloodstream.

What You Can Do

• While hormone therapy and other medication may help lower blood cholesterol in postmenopausal women, drug treatment is not for everyone. The best---and first---methods to keep triglycerides and blood cholesterol levels down include quitting smoking, regular exercise and a healthy diet. Cut down on foods high in saturated fat such as fatty meats, butter, cheese, whole-milk products and shellfish. Instead, eat foods high in fiber like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and peas, low-fat milk products, lean meat, fatty fish and skinless poultry.