Physical, biological, and psychological changes put menopausal women at increased risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. Are there any diets or foods that can help improve this risk?
1. Risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women
When entering menopause, in addition to the negative effects of aging, the decrease in estrogen will cause women to face new health challenges, such as the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association (AHA) said that nearly 1/3 of women have cardiovascular disease and the rate of heart attacks in women begins to increase about a decade after menopause. The main reason is that estrogen helps keep blood vessels flexible, helping them contract and expand to accommodate blood flow. Once estrogen decreases, this benefit is lost. Along with other changes such as high blood pressure, it can thicken the artery walls, making women’s hearts more vulnerable.
Other studies have also shown that physical, biological, psychological changes, frequent and persistent hot flashes in menopausal women are related to future cardiovascular disease.
About 1 in 4 women may develop an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) after menopause. Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure or other cardiovascular complications.
Research has also found that women who have early menopause have a much greater risk of cardiovascular disease than normal people. Women who have more hot flashes early in menopause also have a higher risk of heart disease. The reason is that estrogen is closely related to the balance of fats in the blood, when bad cholesterol in the blood increases while good cholesterol decreases, leading to the risk of atherosclerosis and narrowing of blood vessels, obstructing blood circulation.
Women who experience early menopause have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. How to proactively cope?
Because of the health risks, experts advise premenopausal women to proactively implement lifestyle changes, maintain exercise and have a healthy diet. Regular health check-ups are needed to have appropriate interventions if there are cardiovascular abnormalities.
For women with a family history of heart disease or early and severe hot flashes, they should regularly monitor their health and consult a doctor about the need for cardiovascular screening.
However, women should be mentally prepared, adjust to a healthy lifestyle, and exercise regularly to maintain the flexibility of the musculoskeletal system and blood circulation.
Follow a nutritious diet, supplement foods rich in fiber, calcium, vitamins and minerals such as green vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, etc. These measures will help improve osteoporosis, especially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause.
3. Foods That Improve Heart Health in Postmenopausal Women
According to a newly published study by a team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University, Edith Cowan University, the University of Western Australia, Wake Forest University, and the University of Leeds, beetroot juice has been found to help postmenopausal women avoid visits to the cardiologist. That’s because beetroot juice helps stimulate the production of nitric oxide, an important chemical messenger that promotes circulation and blood flow.
The study authors note that “cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, and the risk increases after menopause. Supplementation with beetroot juice and other plant-based nitrate-rich foods is a promising nonpharmacological strategy to increase systemic nitric oxide and improve endothelial function in older adults.”
Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial in postmenopausal women to examine the effects of nitrate supplementation through drinking beetroot juice on resting macrovascular endothelial function and endothelial resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury of the entire arm at two separate menopausal stages.
Women were divided into an early postmenopausal group (last menstrual period one to six years ago) and a late postmenopausal group (more than six years since last menstrual period). Each group was asked to drink either nitrate-rich beetroot juice or low-nitrate beetroot juice every day for one week.
Study participants drank nitrate-rich beetroot juice every morning for seven days, followed by several weeks of nitrate-free beetroot juice.
Drinking beetroot juice may improve heart health in postmenopausal women.
The researchers found that nitrate-rich beetroot juice increased blood flow compared to a placebo without nitrate. However, the researchers noted that the vascular benefits were lost after 24 hours of drinking the beetroot juice.
Ultimately, they concluded that daily beetroot juice intake may help protect cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women, but this depends on the timing of supplementation, as the effect was lost after 24 hours.
Therefore, to get the continued cardiovascular benefits of drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice, postmenopausal women should include it in their daily diet.
However, longer-term, larger studies are needed to determine the best dose and timing of nitrate intake to promote vascular function and cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women.
