When a woman reaches menopause, her chances of developing cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke, rise sharply, according to a new study.

“This study is one of the first to show that women’s risk increases significantly after menopause, and that the risk of cardiac events closely matches that of men,” said Ella, an internist at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. said Ishaaya, MD.research has told health.

Experts said the study, presented April 7 at the American College of Cardiology meeting, highlights the need to recognize and understand early signs of cardiovascular problems in this population. Heart disease has traditionally been thought of as a men’s health problem, but heart disease in women remains undertreated, despite being the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. It happens often.

Below, experts break down the connection between heart health and menopause, how women can protect their hearts, and the warning signs of heart disease.

Postmenopausal women are already known to be more susceptible to heart disease because they have lower levels of estrogen, a hormone that suppresses “bad” cholesterol and performs other functions that protect the heart.

Ishaaya said her team wants to dig deeper into the heart health risks facing this particular group.

For their analysis, researchers used data from 579 postmenopausal women who took statins to control cholesterol. The women had undergone two coronary artery calcium (CAC) screenings at least 1 year apart. The scan can indicate a person’s risk of a heart attack by measuring the buildup of plaque (cholesterol and other substances) in the heart’s arteries (the higher the score, the higher the risk).

To compare the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women to that of men, the researchers also looked at women with similar profiles in terms of race, age, statin use, blood pressure, and diabetes status. The man holding it was also scanned.

The researchers then divided the participants into three groups based on their initial CAC scan results: 1-99, 100-399, and 400+.

The research team found that many participants’ second CAC scores were higher than their first. Between her first and her second CAC scan, a woman’s baseline score of 1-99 increased by an average of 8 points. Women in the second group saw their average scores increase by about 31 points.

These increases were approximately twice as large as in men.

Ishaaya said one weakness of the study was that the researchers only analyzed data from women taking statins. She added that CAC levels remained elevated in many participants despite medication, suggesting that postmenopausal women not taking statins may be at even greater risk.

Dr. Megan Kamath, a cardiologist at UCLA Health, says you should start protecting your heart before you reach menopause.

“One of the best things postmenopausal women can do is take a preventative approach before menopause and continue that approach after menopause,” she said. health. “Women need to take control of their cardiovascular health, and this starts early with diet, exercise, and heart-healthy lifestyle changes.”

Lifestyle changes include quitting smoking and managing stress through methods such as yoga and meditation, said Petra Zubin Maslov, MD, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Morningside. health.

It’s also important to talk to your doctor regularly about your cholesterol, blood pressure, and overall risk for heart disease.

If you start noticing signs of heart disease, such as heaviness in your chest, heartburn, chronic fatigue, or pain in your neck, jaw, or back, Zubin Maslov says don’t ignore your symptoms and consult a medical professional. He emphasized the importance of this. Even the “normal” effects of aging.

Some symptoms overlap with other illnesses, so if your health problems persist despite treatment, it may be a good idea to see a cardiologist.

“Heart disease is preventable and treatable,” Reynolds said. “It’s never too late to start taking care of yourself.”