Estrogen protects your heart, but your levels decline during menopause. To help care for your heart during this transition, try balanced eating and managing stress, or even hormone therapy.
Menopause marks the transition in your life when your periods will stop if you have ovaries. You’ll also stop producing as much estrogen.
Estrogen has a heart-protecting role, so the decline in how much your body produces makes your heart more vulnerable to disease.
Menopause typically begins between 45 and 55 years old, with the average age in the United States being
Some people may experience:
- Premature menopause: before age 40
- Early menopause: after age 40 but before age 45
- Late menopause: after age 55
Most experts agree that estrogen has a much larger role than being the hormone that regulates your menstrual cycle.
The larger role it plays is in heart health — estrogen may be cardioprotective (heart-protecting).
However, experts don’t know exactly how estrogen protects your heart. More research is necessary to determine this mechanism.
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), your ovaries start to produce less estrogen during perimenopause.
Because of this drop in your estrogen levels, which continues throughout the rest of your menopause transition, your heart may be more vulnerable to:
- atherosclerosis (plaque, or fat, buildup in your arteries)
- coronary heart disease
- heart attack
- stroke
Maintaining heart health is important during menopause because your heart becomes more vulnerable to heart-related health conditions.
Seeing your doctor
Continue with scheduling regular check-ups with your doctor, and be sure to mention your heart concerns at appointments.
Your doctor will perform regular biometric screenings to confirm your heart’s health status. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends checking your:
- cholesterol every 5 years
- blood pressure every 2 years
- blood sugar every 3 years
Regular screenings can help a doctor detect issues with heart health early on. This can prevent the condition from worsening by getting you the care and treatment you need sooner rather than later.
Staying active
An active lifestyle is essential to keep up throughout life, especially during menopause.
Physical activity may reduce your risk for heart disease and improve your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol levels. This helps relieve stress on your heart and improve its function.
The AHA
- lower your risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure
- improve sleep
- prevent obesity
- enhance your overall well-being
Reaching these exact numbers is less important than moving more. You can always set the AHA’s recommendation as your goal and work toward reaching it.
Balanced eating
Just as with exercise, balanced eating is vital to a healthy heart. Balanced eating involves:
- consuming less ultra-processed food
- eating more whole foods
- getting enough antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, and other foods
The BHF also recommends trying to focus on eating more food with specifically heart-healthy nutrients, such as:
- oily fish high in omega-3s
- whole grains high in fiber
- dairy or dairy-free alternatives high in protein and calcium
Calcium and vitamin D, in particular, can also support your bones during menopause, decreasing your risk of osteoporosis.
With physical activity, balanced eating may help you maintain a moderate weight and
Managing stress
Managing stress is much easier said than done, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to relieve. Without proper management, chronic stress may take a toll on your overall health and heart health,
- increased blood pressure
- irregular heart rate and rhythm
- reduced blood flow to your heart
Learning how you best cope with stress can offset these effects. For example, if you need quiet and calm when you’re stressed, try:
- meditating
- yoga
- journaling
- reading
- doing a puzzle
If you’d rather do something that gets your blood pumping, try:
- brisk walking
- biking
- dancing
- swimming
- gardening
Getting quality sleep
Vasomotor symptoms of menopause may affect your sleep, and it often leads to insomnia. Not getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night
If you seek a doctor for treatment, their recommendations may depend on whether your insomnia is short-term or chronic (long lasting) and if you have an underlying health condition.
Treatments may include:
- prescription medications
- over-the-counter supplements, like melatonin
- mental health or hormone therapy
- natural remedies
Hormone therapy (HT)
You may want to consider HT as a menopause symptom treatment. It replenishes your decreasing hormone levels during your menopause transition.
This therapy may alleviate common symptoms of menopause, such as night sweats and hot flashes.
The Food and Drug Administration approves HT, but that doesn’t mean it is without risks.
More research is needed because many of the studies on HT risks are conflicting, but some adverse effects
- breast cancer
- coronary heart disease
- stroke
- migraine
Your body produces less estrogen as you go through menopause. Estrogen may be heart-protective, so diminished levels may leave your heart more vulnerable to disease.
But you can take charge of your heart health during this transition. Try getting regular exercise, balanced eating, and managing stress.
You might also consider asking your doctor about hormone therapy. Discuss the risks and benefits of this therapy with your doctor.
Connect with us
Sign up for our Menopause newsletter and check out our Menopause hub.