Can Menopause Cause LDL to Go Up?

Menopause occurs in women on average by age 50. It is a time when menstruation and fertility ends. During this period, the body goes through a multitude of changes, some of which can affect a woman's cardiovascular health.

Significance

• After menopause, a woman's level of estrogen, which is protective of the cardiovascular system, drops considerably. This hormonal loss can serve to lower a woman's HDL, or good cholesterol, while raising her LDL, or bad cholesterol.

Features

• A high LDL level, especially when accompanied by a low HDL or other risk factors, can make a woman more susceptible to heart disease, heart attack or stroke. An optimal LDL is lower than 100 mg/dL, whereas a healthy HDL is 50 mg/dL or higher.

Prevention/Solution

• You can reduce your risk by making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating healthier foods--particularly those low in fat and cholesterol--exercising 30 minutes each day and keeping a healthy body mass index, of between 18 and 25.

Benefits

• There may be some heart benefit from taking hormone replacement therapy in early menopause, although it poses some risks.

Theories/Speculation

• It is not entirely known why estrogen is protective of cardiovascular health, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and it may be a chemical component of estrogen that has this effect, rather than the hormone itself.