Menopause causes a rapid decline in women’s heart health, putting them at the same risk as men of the same age, research suggests.
Falling estrogen levels can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, something statins didn’t seem to be able to prevent, according to one study.
Experts said it shows the importance of recognizing early signs of heart disease risk in women and the need for different treatments.
Researchers studied 579 postmenopausal women who had already been given statins to help control their cholesterol.
They underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scans, similar to an X-ray, to measure the buildup of fats, calcium and other substances linked to heart disease in the arteries of the heart.
Falling estrogen levels can cause plaque to build up in the arteries, which can lead to heart problems.
HRT prescriptions for menopausal women have soared in recent years, with 11 million items distributed to help deal with symptoms in 2022/23.
Two scans were performed, a year apart, and the higher the CAC score, the greater the risk of having a heart attack or other cardiac events.
Researchers at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, California, divided participants into three groups with CAC levels of 1 to 99, 100 to 399, and 400 or higher at baseline.
Between their first and second heart scans, women with a CAC of 1 to 99 saw it increase by an average of eight points, double the four seen in equivalent men.
Similarly, women with a medium CAC score gained an average of 31 points, almost double the 16 seen in men.
There were no significant differences between the sexes for those with the highest baseline value, according to findings presented at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session.
The findings suggest that plaque buildup is accelerated in postmenopausal women compared to men, indicating that many women experience a sharp increase in the risk of heart problems.
Dr Ella Ishaaya, lead author, said: “After menopause, women have much less estrogen and shift to a more testosterone-rich profile.
‘This affects how the body stores fat, where it stores it, and how it processes it; It even affects the way blood clots. And all of this increases the risk of developing heart disease.
Heart disease has traditionally been considered a male disease, even though women in the UK are twice as likely to die from it as from breast cancer.
Inequalities around diagnosis and care compared to men have led to more than 8,200 preventable heart attack deaths in women in England and Wales in a decade, according to previous research.
Professor Vijay Kunadian, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Menopause increases the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases because it causes a decrease in oestrogen, a hormone that protects the heart.”
‘Menopause can also cause changes in a woman’s body that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and an increase in abdominal fat storage, often through no fault of the woman herself.
“This study highlights that statins alone are not enough to help reduce a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease. We need to equip women with the tools and knowledge to take charge of their own health and ask doctors for help to protect them from future heart problems.’
