“Menopause is an inevitable part of life, and I really see it as another window into future cardiovascular health,” Kathryn Lindley, a cardiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says. Women may seek care for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, “but it’s also when their cardiovascular risk factors really start to increase,” Lindley says. “We start to see blood pressure go up, weight go up, blood sugar go up, cholesterol go up, and there’s really an acceleration in risk for things like heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke.”
Second in our six-part series
Most people know the basics of living healthy: eat and sleep well, exercise, schedule an annual check up, and get the recommended vaccinations. But keeping up with self-care plus getting screenings for cancer and other diseases can be daunting. “Health” also varies for women at different stages of their lives. So, we’re bringing you a women’s health series that covers the most important health issues for women in each decade. Here is the second of those, reviewing where women in their 50s should be putting their focus to live their best, healthiest life.
Heart attacks can feel different in women than men, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with women’s heart attack symptoms. Stroke is an even bigger risk in women than heart attack, so know those signs as well.
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Fortunately, plenty of treatments exist for most symptoms of menopause and for lowering risk factors of cardiovascular disease.
“It’s not like one thing is going to work for everyone across the board,” Ahmad says. “Sometimes it takes a little bit of trial and error. What’s really important along the lines of treatment options is finding the right provider.”
Many women may be fortunate to already feel comfortable discussing perimenopausal symptoms with their primary care provider. But Ahmad’s company, Carrot Fertility, discovered last year that one in three women surveyed said they had never even discussed menopause with their doctor. It’s worth starting those discussions early so you can determine if your doctor will meet your needs.
