Women's cardiac health during menopause significantly influences their health trajectory in the future, researchers discover
During the menopause transition, a critical period for women's health, several lifestyle and biological factors significantly influence long-term cardiovascular outcomes. A recent study, published in the journal Menopause, investigates the impact of these factors on cardiovascular health.
The study, led by Dr. Samar R. El Khoudary, focused on the American Heart Association's "Life's Essential 8" (LE8) checklist, which includes eight components: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar (glucose), and blood pressure.
The research involved nearly 2,924 women, with an average age of 46, who were part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. At baseline and follow-up visits, women received scores on these LE8 components.
At the study's start, only about 21% of midlife women reached ideal cardiovascular health scores according to the LE8 tool. However, improvements in these scores over time corresponded with more favourable vascular markers and lower rates of cardiovascular events and death.
Sleep quality stood out as a key driver of risk for future heart disease or mortality. Better baseline sleep and improvements in sleep score were associated with lower cardiovascular events and mortality. Among the eight LE8 components, blood glucose, blood pressure, and nicotine exposure were most strongly linked with risks across vascular and event outcomes.
Dr. El Khoudary stated that the menopause transition is a time of accelerating cardiovascular risk, but also an opportunity for women to focus on their heart health. The findings point to the need for lifestyle and medical interventions to improve heart health during and after menopause among midlife women.
Crucially, sleep uniquely contributes to heart health during menopause. Hormonal shifts during this period can affect circadian rhythms, leading to poor sleep quality, which worsens cardiovascular markers by increasing cortisol and insulin resistance.
The study's findings underscore the importance of addressing lifestyle and biological factors during the menopause transition to improve heart health. The researchers linked better LE8 scores with overall better health outcomes. However, the study did not provide specific details on the methods used to analyze the data or the exact results beyond what is mentioned in the paragraph.
In conclusion, maintaining ideal scores on the American Heart Association's LE8 checklist can significantly improve cardiovascular health during the menopause transition. Focusing on managing sleep, controlling blood pressure and glucose, and avoiding smoking is crucial for long-term cardiovascular outcomes.
- The study, led by Dr. Samar R. El Khoudary, focuses on the American Heart Association's "Life's Essential 8" (LE8) checklist, which encompasses essential components for health-and-wellness, including diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar (glucose), and blood pressure, to investigate their impact on cardiovascular health during the critical period of women's health during the menopause transition.
- Crucially, the study highlights sleep as a key factor uniquely contributing to heart health during menopause due to hormonal shifts that can impact circadian rhythms, leading to poor sleep quality, increasing risks for cardiovascular events and mortality by intensifying cortisol and insulin resistance.
- In arriving at these findings, the research suggests that maintaining ideal scores on the LE8 checklist, particularly by focusing on managing sleep, controlling blood pressure and glucose, and avoiding smoking, can significantly improve long-term cardiovascular health during and after the menopause transition for women with medical-conditions.
