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Written By: Admin | Updated : September 20, 2012 11:59 AM IST
Always thought menopause is for the elderly? In a recent trend, Indian woman have shown an increase in the early onset of menopause. According to researchers early onset of menopause is associated with an increased risk of heart conditions and stroke. A doctor of Indian origin, practicing at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US, discovered that women who get into menopause early are twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and stroke. The doctor warns fellow physicians that if they know a woman who has stepped into menopause before her 46th birthday, they should be extra vigilant making recommendations and providing treatments to help prevent heart attacks and stroke.
According to research smokers show an earlier onset of menopause by two years as compared to non-smokers. Astonishingly, an average Indian female smokes more cigarettes a day than their male counterparts. An average Indian woman is taking to smoking at 17.5 years as against 18.8 years among men. Dr Vaidya said the association holds true in patients from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and is independent of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors.
The doctor says that their results suggest it is important to avoid early menopause if at all possible. Notably, the researchers said, their findings about the negative impact of early menopause were similar whether the women reached it naturally or surgically like removal of reproductive organs. Often, women who undergo hysterectomies have their ovaries removed and that precipitates rapid menopause. According to physicians ovary removal should be avoided in more instances.
Data from 2,509 women aged between 45 and 84 was examined all enrolled between 2000 and 2002 and followed until 2008. The survey revealed 28% reported early menopause, or menopause that occurs before the age of 46. Vaidya emphasizes that although the risk of heart attack and stroke was doubled in these groups, the actual number of cardiac and stroke events recorded among study participants was small. Only 50 women in the study suffered heart events, while 37 had strokes.
Menopause is a process during which a woman's reproductive and hormonal cycles slow down, her periods (menstruation) eventually stop, ovaries stop releasing eggs for fertilization and produce less estrogen and progesterone, and the possibility of pregnancy ends. A natural event, which takes place in most women in the 45-55 age group, of menopausal onsets and rates are influenced by a combination of factors, including heredity, smoking, diet and exercise.
Cardiovascular disease processes and risks start very early in life, even though the heart attacks and strokes happen later. Unfortunately, young women are often not targeted for prevention because cardiovascular disease is thought to be only attacking women in old age. What our study reaffirms is that managing risk factors when women are young will likely prevent or postpone heart attacks and strokes when they age. The main preventable reason for early menopause (in some countries and in some parts of the Indian population) is smoking. However, for the vast majority of women in developing countries, the reason for early menopause is poor nutrition during early life and young adulthood. Poor social/economic status women have early menopause.
To a young woman ,good nutrition is key because the women will have a longer reproductive life and also lesser heart disease and stroke in old age. For women who smoke: quitting will do both, give a longer reproductive life and also lesser heart disease and stroke in old age. For women who are already older, if they have had early menopause, they should be extra vigilant in improving their lifestyle, exercise before heart disease happens. Greater care should be taken in controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
