The earlier the menopause, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Women who reach menopause before the age of 40 have an increased risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. [사진=Staras/게티이미지뱅크]

Women who experience menopause at an early age should pay more attention to their cardiovascular health. Early menopause has been shown to increase the risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

It is the research result of the research team of Professor Nam Ga-eun of the Department of Family Medicine at Korea University Guro Hospital (first author, Professor Shin Ji-in of the Department of Family Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Professor Han Kyung-do of the Department of Information Statistics and Actuarial Science at Soongsil University, and co-author Dr. Jin-hyeong Jung of the Sungkyunkwan University Medical Research Institute).

Heart failure is a condition in which sufficient oxygen is not delivered to the whole body due to heart failure, and atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly. These cardiovascular diseases are generally more common in men than in women. This is because the female hormone estrogen protects the cardiovascular system. After menopause, when estrogen levels decrease, women also have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Women who are still young but have reached early menopause also need to be careful. The average age of menopause in Korea is 49.9 years old, but some women reach menopause before they reach their 40s.

The research team followed 1.41,175 postmenopausal women over the age of 30 between 2009 and 2018. Of these, 2% (28,111) reached menopause before the age of 40. The average age of menopause among women who underwent early menopause was 36.7 years.

The research team also looked at the association with cardiovascular health during the period. As a result, women who reached early menopause had a 33% higher risk of heart failure and 9% higher risk of atrial fibrillation than women who did not.

Women aged 45-49, 40-44, and under 40 years of age at menopause had an 11%, 23%, and 39% higher risk of heart failure than women who reached menopause after the age of 50, respectively, and had a 4% and 10% risk of atrial fibrillation, respectively. %, 11% higher. The younger you are at menopause, the higher your risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Professor Nam said, “This study suggests that female fertility should be considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It should be used as a motivator to prevent cardiovascular disease.”

This study was published in the August issue of the European Heart Journal.

By Moon Se-young, staff reporter [email protected]

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