Last week, the North American Menopause Society met in San Diego, and I have been reading about some interesting data and research that have come out of that meeting. One piece of research in particular that caught my eye stated that menopause hot flashes may signal an increased risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Researchers followed more than 400 women and found that those with menopause hot flashes were more likely to have a thickening in their carotid arteries, which increased their risk of heart issues.
As I’ve discussed before in my newsletter, Women’s Wellness Today, we know that the risk of heart disease increases after menopause. During a woman’s reproductive years, the whole system is generally healthier and risk factors for heart disease and other conditions are a lot lower. In my own patients, those who are producing healthy amounts of female hormones have healthier cholesterol and arterial flexibility…but unfortunately, that often changes as an effect of menopause. This new research provides even more evidence, added to what we already know from previous studies, that menopause and cardiovascular disease are linked.