Heart health warning for women going through the menopause as study finds plunging oestrogen levels can trigger plaque build-up in arteries

Menopause causes a rapid decline in women’s heart health putting them at the same risk as men the same age, research suggests.

The fall in oestrogen levels can trigger plaque build-up in the arteries which statins seemed unable to prevent, a study found.

Experts said it shows the importance of recognising early warning signs of heart disease risk in women and the need for different treatments.

Researchers studied 579 postmenopausal women who have already been placed on statins to help control their cholesterol.

They were given coronary artery calcium (CAC) scans – similar to an X-ray – to measure the buildup of fats, calcium and other heart disease-related substances in the heart’s arteries.

Two scans were given, a year apart, with the higher the CAC score, the bigger risk of a heart attack or other cardiac events.

Researchers from Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre, California, divided the participants into three groups with CAC levels of 1–99, 100–399, and 400 or higher at the start.

Between their first and second heart scan, women with a CAC of 1–99 saw it rise by an average of eight points, double the four seen in equivalent men.

Similarly, women with medium CAC score rose by an average 31 points, almost double the 16 seen in men.

There was no significant difference between sexes for those with the highest baseline, according to the findings presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

The findings suggest plaque buildup is accelerated in post-menopausal women compared to men, indicating that many women experience a steep rise in the risk of heart problems.

Dr Ella Ishaaya, lead author, said: ‘After menopause, women have much less oestrogen and shift to a more testosterone-heavy profile.

‘This affects the way your body stores fat, where it stores fat and the way it processes fat; it even affects the way your blood clots. And all of those increase your risk for developing heart disease.’

Heart disease has traditionally been regarded a man’s disease, despite women in the UK being twice as likely to die of it as breast cancer.

Inequalities surrounding diagnosis and care compared to men have resulted in more than 8,200 avoidable heart attack deaths in women in England and Wales in a decade, previous research found.

Professor Vijay Kunadian, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘The menopause increases the risk of a heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases because it leads to a drop in oestrogen, a hormone which protects the heart.

‘The menopause can also cause changes to a woman’s body that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and an increase in abdominal fat storage, often through no fault of the woman herself.

‘This study emphasises 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.’