Menopause and your cholesterol
Menopause often hits at a busy and stressful time in a woman’s life, when she is at the peak of her career and often caring for both children and ageing parents at the same time. The combination of all those stressors can make it difficult to recognise the mood swings and fatigue as symptoms of menopause, and even if you do realise something’s amiss, finding the time to get the problem diagnosed and treated can seem like an impossible task.
However, there are reasons to ensure you are monitoring your menopause, beyond getting relief from the hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog and low mood, and one such reason is the link between menopause and high cholesterol. October is both Menopause Awareness Month and HEART UK’s National Cholesterol Month, so what better time to take a moment for yourself and think about your health needs?
How does menopause affect your cholesterol?
There are several midlife factors that can cause your cholesterol levels to go up: a sedentary lifestyle (sitting at a desk all day), unhealthy diet (because you’re too busy dealing with everyone else’s needs to pack yourself a healthy lunch) and weight gain (often linked to the aforementioned issues) can all have an impact.
But the biggest factor for women’s cholesterol is the inevitable dip in oestrogen that happens when we enter menopause. Although the exact reasons for this link between oestrogen and cholesterol is unclear, it is evident that the link exists as, even before menopause, women display fluctuating cholesterol levels along with the variations in oestrogen level that occur throughout the menstrual cycle.
Perimenopause can begin long before any changes in your menstrual cycle, with symptoms that include:
- night sweats
- fatigue
- hot flushes
- low mood and irritability
The change in cholesterol level, however, tends to take place in the two years surrounding the menopause itself – the point at which your periods actually stop.
What are the risks of high cholesterol?
Once we have hit menopause, our levels of ‘good’ cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins) begin to plateau, while ‘bad’ cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins) starts to surge. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, which can potentially lead to life-threatening medical incidents such as heart attack or stroke.
Of course, not every woman whose cholesterol levels go up at menopause is going to have a heart attack – it is perfectly normal for cholesterol to increase with age, and if you generally live a healthy lifestyle, a small fluctuation in cholesterol might be nothing to worry about. However, it is important to keep an eye on your cholesterol, particularly as you enter midlife.
What can be done to improve my cholesterol levels through menopause?
The first and most important step is to book an appointment with your GP, both to discuss your menopause symptoms and to check your cholesterol levels. They will then be able to talk you through the various options for managing both, which may include hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
If your cholesterol levels are found to be concerning, you may be able to manage this through lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet or getting regular exercise. If this proves unsuccessful, then medical treatments are available.
If you have concerns about menopause, cholesterol or both, and would like to speak in confidence to a medical professional, please contact us to book an appointment.
