Menopause and Cardiovascular Risk
Menopause brings with it some disadvantages on the lipidemic profile of women. The consequent decrease in estrogen levels tends to reduce cardiovascular protection, typical of the fertile period, which makes it less susceptible to cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, angina, myocardial infarction and peripheral atheropathies.
In particular, estrogens contribute to maintaining a healthy relationship between HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol; consequently, the fall in the levels of these hormones with menopausal entry, together with the natural aging process, tends to increase the levels of bad cholesterol (including apolipoprotein B) and to decrease the good one. What to do, therefore, to counter this process?
Useful Tips
Diet and Lifestyle
Smoking abstention and regular physical activity are certainly beneficial, useful for improving HDL cholesterol levels. More generally, the same advice given to boys and to all those who suffer from high cholesterol are valid; the menopausal woman will therefore have to try to reach and maintain her proper weight, and practice at least 30 minutes of daily exercise, moderate to vigorous, on 4-5 weekly occasions. On the dietary front, cholesterol reduction relies on greater consumption of fish (3-4 weekly servings, especially if there is hypertriglyceridemia) and the preference for vegetable oils compared to animal fats. At the same time the consumption of refined sugars (sweets, sweets, white bread, flour, baked goods, etc.) will be reduced, in favor of whole grains and fibers, while fatty meats, dairy products and generally all animal fats will have to play a role rather marginal. Soy may prove to be a valuable ally during menopause, both due to the presumed usefulness of its phytoestrogen content and to the equally discussed lipid-lowering property of its proteins.
The guidelines suggest reducing the daily cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg / day, while saturated fats (which enhance the atherosclerotic action of cholesterol) should not provide more than 7-8% of daily calories.
To learn more, read: Example Diet for High Cholesterol in Menopause »
drugs
In women with high cardiovascular risk it may be necessary to use specific drugs, such as statins, or hormone replacement therapy in the first years of menopause. For women without significant risk factors, the latter practice appears to be ineffective in reducing the incidence of the aforementioned cardiovascular diseases.
To learn more, read: Drugs for high cholesterol - Drugs for Menopause symptoms »
