|  | Family Health | Womens Health

Cardiac Effects of Menopause

Cardiac effects of menopause include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and risk of heart attack and stroke. Estrogen is a heart-protective hormone that is diminished during menopause. Estrogen helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol and promote healthy arteries.

  1. Significance

    • Cardiac effects of menopause occur because during this time, estrogen levels drop off dramatically. Estrogen is a hormone that protects against cardiovascular disease. Many women take hormones after menopause to replace lost estrogen.

    Time Frame

    • Cardiac effects of menopause can be life threatening. At a woman's first sign of chest pain, faintness, dizziness or severe headache, she should seek medical attention. With prompt treatment, severe health consequences may be avoided.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The are no surefire ways to prevent cardiac effects of menopause, but the effects can be minimized by keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels within normal limits, not smoking, eating healthy and getting regular medical checkups.

    Misconceptions

    • A common misconception about cardiac effects of menopause is that they are not as serious as the risk of breast cancer after menopause. This is not true, because cardiac effects of menopause kill more women annually than breast cancer.

    Warning

    • Although cardiac effects of menopause can be postponed with the use of hormone replacement therapy, which includes estrogen, the therapy can promote breast and uterine cancer. Women should speak to a doctor to assess the benefits versus the risks.

Womens Health - Related Articles