Key result
Female-specific cardiovascular research indicates that age at menopause does not significantly alter conventional risk factor trajectories, while pregnant women with severe valvular heart disease face high rates of adverse events.
Why the study?
Does age at period cessation affect trajectories of CVD risk factors in women?
Does age at period cessation affect trajectories of CVD risk factors in women?
Age at menopause does not appear to independently drive adverse trajectories in blood pressure or serum lipids.
The relationship between hormone status and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women remains controversial. CVD mortality is higher in women who experience period cessation at a younger age but few studies have examined the effect of menopause on risk factors for CVD. With ageing, there is an increased prevalence and severity of conventional CVD risk factors, including elevated serum lipid levels, hypertension, diabetes and body size, making it challenging to determine whether hormonal changes at menopause are an independent risk factor for CVD in women, particularly because previous studies have largely been based on a cross-sectional study design. O’Keeffe and colleagues1 were able to examine the relationship between age at period cessation and trajectories of CVD risk factors using longitudinal data from 2547 women enrolled in the UK Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, followed from birth in 1946 to the most recent visit at age 69 years. This data showed no association between age at period cessation (natural or surgical) and trajectories of serum lipid levels or blood pressure from age 36 to 69 years, with inconsistent associations for other CVD risk factors. …
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Catherine M Otto (2020) conducted an editorial in Cardiovascular disease in women. Female sex and reproductive factors vs. Male sex (where applicable) was evaluated. Female-specific cardiovascular research indicates that age at menopause does not significantly alter conventional risk factor trajectories, while pregnant women with severe valvular heart disease face high rates of adverse events.
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