Why does cardiovascular risk increase during menopause?Medical research believes that the main reason for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women after menopause is the decline in estrogen levels.

During menopause, a woman's ovaries gradually stop releasing eggs, causing levels of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries to drop. Changes in this hormone level are thought to potentially have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system.

This is because, in theory, estrogen is capable of producing many beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. For example, it can help lower cholesterol levels, reduce arteriosclerosis, protect vascular endothelial cells, reduce thrombosis, etc.

Therefore, as women enter menopause and estrogen levels drop, these protective effects gradually diminish, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Secondly, as age increases, menopausal women will gradually be exposed to other cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity or overweight, etc. These factors will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In addition, anxiety and depression are more common among women.

The prevalence of depression in women is more than twice that of men, and depression itself is also an important risk factor for cardiovascular events and death.

Can hormone replacement therapy reduce risk?Since the decline in estrogen levels is the main reason for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women, some people will naturally ask: Can supplementing some additional estrogen reduce this risk?

Clinically, the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone deficiency by supplementing estrogen and progesterone to relieve symptoms related to menopause is called "hormone replacement therapy."

Hormone replacement therapy is considered to have a significant effect in improving vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, genitourinary symptoms, and preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Once upon a time, hormone replacement therapy was also thought to prevent cardiovascular disease. However, as research continues, more and more clinical evidence shows that hormone replacement therapy may not be suitable for preventing cardiovascular disease because it also has some potential risks.

For example, studies have found that hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots; if used for more than 5 years, the risk of breast cancer increases by 20-30%, and the risk of ovarian cancer increases by 30-40%. In addition, cardiovascular-related indicators such as weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids are also easily affected by hormone replacement therapy.