A study just published in BMJ disputes the long-held belief that the onset of menopause is linked to an increased rate of heart disease in women. Yes, say the researchers, heart disease mortality in women increases with age but the increase is steady, with no acceleration at the time of menopause.
In a study of three separate groups of women born between 1916 and 1945 in the U.S., England, and Wales, researchers led by Dr. Dhananjay Vidya of Johns Hopkins University analyzed heart disease mortality over time. No spike in heart disease-related mortality occurred at menopausal ages. As Dr. Vidya explains, it appears that the cells of the heart and arteries are aging like every other tissue in the body, and that is why we see more...heart attacks every year as women age.
Given the absence of any real supporting evidence from clinical or epidemiological studies that the normal hormones of premenopausal women protect against heart disease, the authors of the study conclude that physicians should focus on cardiac health over the course of a woman s lifetime not just with the onset of menopause.
ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross notes his surprise, given that, for so long, the correlation between menopause and heart disease was widely accepted. Still, he says, he s impressed with the study and agrees that a shift in focus to lifetime risk is appropriate. He points out, however, that the use of hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal symptoms is a separate issue and a means of treatment that remains quite valid.
