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Women who experience menopause before the age of 40 may face a significantly higher lifetime risk of developing heart disease, according to a new study.
The research, published in JAMA Cardiology, found that natural premature menopause was associated with about a 40 per cent increase in the lifetime risk of coronary heart disease compared with menopause occurring at the usual age.
Researchers analysed data from more than 10,000 postmenopausal women aged 55 to 69 who participated in six long-term U.S. studies conducted between 1964 and 2018.
None of the women had coronary heart disease at the start of the study, and all had experienced natural rather than surgical menopause.
Over the follow-up period, researchers recorded more than 1,000 cases of coronary heart disease, including heart attacks and deaths related to heart disease.
After adjusting for established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, the researchers found that premature menopause increased the lifetime risk of coronary heart disease by 41 per cent in Black women and 39 per cent in White women.
Lead author Dr Priya Freaney, a cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said the findings show that the timing of menopause has important implications beyond reproductive health.
“Menopause timing isn’t just a reproductive issue — it’s also a heart health issue,” she said.
Although women with premature menopause were more likely to develop heart disease over their lifetime, they did not develop the condition significantly earlier than women who entered menopause later.
Experts believe the increased risk may be linked to the early loss of oestrogen, a hormone that helps protect the heart and blood vessels.
Dr Ryhm Radjef, director of the Women’s Heart and Cardio-Obstetric Program at Henry Ford Health, said premature menopause may also reflect underlying inflammation or metabolic changes that increase cardiovascular risk.
She noted that women who experience menopause before age 40 may benefit from earlier screening and preventive care.
The researchers said reproductive history should be considered alongside traditional cardiovascular risk factors when assessing a woman’s heart health.
They also advised women approaching menopause to adopt heart-healthy habits, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar under control.
