Early Menopause Is Linked to Increased CHD Risk

Women who experience menopause before the age of 40 years had significantly higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a recent study presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021.

“We know from previous research that women who experience premature menopause are more likely to develop heart disease over the short-term. However, we don’t fully understand their long-term risk,” said lead study author Priya M Freaney, MD, from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

For their study, the researchers analyzed data from 6 national groups including over 10,000 women aged 55 to 69 years free from CHD at baseline.

Overall, they found that Black women were 3 times more likely than White women to experience premature menopause (15.5% vs 4.8%, respectively), and women who experience premature menopause had a 40% higher risk of CHD over the course of their life compared with those who did not experience premature menopause, even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors.

“These results indicate premature menopause is associated with higher lifetime risk of coronary heart disease. To mitigate this risk, clinicians need to start asking women about their menopause status earlier,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Freaney PM. Early menopause linked to higher risk of future coronary heart disease. Presented at: American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021; May 20-21, 2021; Dallas, Texas. Accessed May 20, 2021. http://www.newsroom.heart.org/news/early-menopause-linked-to-higher-risk-of-future-coronary-heart-disease