Are you inching closer to the sea of menopause? Perhaps you are trying to navigate the waters and balance hormonal shifts, mood swings, and hot flashes. Whatever the case, an often overlooked aspect of menopause is heart health.
Menopause is a natural phase of a woman’s life. It is the natural physiological transition that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. To think that menopause is a disease or disorder is incorrect; rather, it is a normal part of aging. The time leading up to this phase of life is known as perimenopause, and the phase after is post-menopause.
Menopause can also mark a turning point for cardiovascular health. Researchers note that a woman’s risk of developing heart disease starts to increase during menopause. In fact, a new large scale study focused on four lifestyle factors that may improve or detract from long-term heart health.
Menopause Is A Window Of Opportunity For Heart Health
In order to better understand how lifestyle habits affect heart health during menopause, researchers observed 3,000 women going through the transition with an average age of 46. They belonged to a long-term health study that included participants from all backgrounds across the United States. During the study, the researchers tracked eight key areas known to impact heart health, and they were as follows:
- Sleep
- Diet
- Nicotine exposure
- Blood sugar
- Cholesterol
- Blood pressure
- Weight
- Physical activity
Over the course of the study, researchers monitored how changes in these eight habits affected outcomes, such as overall longevity, stroke, and heart attack. What makes the research so empowering is that it didn’t solely focus on who had perfect health from the beginning of the study. The study revealed that even small improvements over time could make meaningful changes to heart health. The four habits that matter most, which researchers determined using the Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) tool, are detailed below:
- Sleep quality: Researchers considered this the most surprising finding during the study. Sleep health emerged as a standout predictor, sometimes more than blood pressure. Women who slept better during the study experienced lower risks of heart disease and lived longer.
- Nicotine exposure: It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that smoking or ongoing nicotine exposure significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking, or never starting, can make a big difference in heart health.
- Blood pressure control: High blood pressure is the silent killer for a reason: it is a consistent predictor of heart disease. During the study, researchers observed that controlling blood pressure during midlife had a protective effect against heart disease later in life.
- Blood sugar regulation: According to health experts, high levels of glucose can damage blood vessels over time. Even modest improvements in blood sugar management can have positive long-term outcomes.
Small Changes Have A Big Impact
Only one in five women who took part in the study met ideal positive measures for cardiovascular health. The silver lining is that even women who started off with lower scores saw significant benefits when they improved them via the measures listed above. That means that you do not need to be perfect to effect change. You can put in the work and make small changes over time to have a positive outcome. What does that look like, though?
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.
- Stop smoking (provided you smoke) by seeking out supportive resources that help you quit the bad habit.
- Replace sugary snacks with protein-dense, fiber-rich options to regulate blood sugar. Don’t eat chips when you can have a handful of almonds or an apple with almond butter.
- Create a consistent bedtime routine that supports deeper, quality sleep.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
