Menopause Is A “Critical Window” for CVD Prevention, Study Suggests
Although cardiovascular risk is known to increase significantly during the menopausal transition, new research indicates that living a healthy lifestyle may help lessen the acceleration of subclinical atherosclerosis in women undergoing menopause.1
According to an analysis of 1143 participants in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, eating a healthy diet, engaging in adequate physical activity, and abstaining from smoking are associated with significantly wider arteries, less arterial thickening, and less buildup of fatty plaque. The strongest association was observed for abstinence from smoking.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Losing Weight May Lessen Breast Cancer Risk After Menopause
Some Dairy Foods May Impact Early Menopause Risk
These findings further support the “growing recognition that the midlife is a critical window for cardiovascular prevention in women,” the authors of the study wrote.
However, the authors noted that only 1.7% of women in the study met all 3 components of a healthy lifestyle that were assessed in the study.
“The low prevalence of a healthy lifestyle in this group of midlife women highlights the potential for lifestyle interventions aimed at this vulnerable population,” said co-author Dongqing Wang, PhD(c), of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, in a press release.2
Wang and colleagues arrived at their conclusion after analyzing self-report data on participants’ physical activity, smoking, and dietary habits. These data were subsequently used to construct a 10-year average Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS) during midlife.
Markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, including common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), adventitial diameter (CCA-AD), and carotid plaque, were also taken into account. Each marker was measured at 14 years after baseline, and the associations of each marker with HLS were assessed.
Results of the study indicated that participants in the highest HLS level had 0.024 mm smaller CCA-IMT (17% of the standard deviation [SD] of CCA-IMT), and 0.16 mm smaller CCA-AD (24% of the SD of CCA-AD) compared with those in the lowest HLS level.
“The metabolic changes that often occur with menopause, especially increases in cholesterol levels and blood pressure, can significantly increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cognitive impairment later in life,” said study author Ana Baylin, MD, DrPH, of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, in a press release.2
“The good news is that middle-aged women can take their wellbeing into their own hands and make healthy lifestyle changes, such as avoiding tobacco smoke, eating a healthier diet and getting more physical activity to reduce their cardiovascular risk,” she added.2
—Christina Vogt
References:
1. Wang D, Jackson EA, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, et al. Healthy lifestyle during the midlife is prospectively associated with less subclinical carotid atherosclerosis: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7:e010405. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.010405.
2. Got menopause? Healthy lifestyle now is crucial for heart health [press release]. Dallas, TX. American Heart Association. November 28, 2018. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/got-menopause. Accessed on November 28, 2018.