Menopause is the cessation of your menstrual cycle and usually begins in your 40s or 50s. 

Now while menopause can bring a sense of relief and joy with no longer having to deal with cramps, mood swings, and bleeding, with it comes an increased risk of certain medical conditions.

Why does menopause bring about an increased risk of medical conditions?

Your menstrual cycle is regulated by estrogen, progesterone, Follicular stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. During menopause, these hormones decrease, causing an increased risk of various diseases.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Yes, with the start of menopause, you can say bye to menstrual cramps and mood changes, but menopause has its own symptoms. 

Many of the symptoms are directly related to the hormonal changes in your body.

Based on an evidence review, several symptoms are evidence of menopause 

• Vaginal dryness
• Vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes
• Sleep disorders and insomnia
• Depression

What health conditions are you at an increased risk for following menopause?

• Osteoporosis

For bones to be strong, a balance of bone-forming cells, called osteoblasts, and bone-absorbing cells, called osteoclasts, is required. Estrogen deficiency in menopause activates both of these cells, but the bone-absorbing cells become dominant, leading to decreased bone mass in menopause.

• Kidney dysfunction 

A study found that increased follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) in post-menopausal women increases your risk for kidney problems. 

• Cardiovascular risk

Cardiovascular fat is the excess fat around the heart and the large blood vessel bringing blood to the body, the aorta. Evidence suggests cardiovascular fat increases your Coronary Heart Disease(CHD) risk.

This study shows how post-menopausal women are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

● Post-menopausal women have more visceral fat (fat on their abdominal organs) and less subcutaneous fat (fat present beneath your skin) in the abdomen.

● Visceral fat is metabolically active, which can affect your heart.

● Increasing visceral fat and the decreasing subcutaneous fat storage capacity indicate more fat is being deposited in other areas, like the heart.

● In women of reproductive age, estrogen teams up with fat tissue leading to protective cardiometabolic effects, meaning they protect the heart to some extent. Menopause leads to the partial reversal of this protective cardiometabolic effect.

• Obesity 

Estrogen plays a leading role in female obesity. Higher estrogen levels may restrain fat accumulation, and lower estrogen levels during and after menopause may lead to obesity.

Summary

Menopause is the cessation of the menstrual cycle, and with it comes an increased risk of certain medical conditions due to the decline in estrogen.

Hormone therapy has been used for women suffering from menopausal symptoms. Still, long-term use of hormone therapy comes with increased risks of cardiovascular conditions and cancer in women over 50.

Talk to your doctor about what treatments are best for your menopausal symptoms.

Sources:

Long‐term hormone therapy for perimenopausal and post-menopausal women - PMC (nih.gov)

Ovarian hormones and obesity - PubMed (nih.gov)

Menopause - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Menopausal Symptoms and Their Management - PMC (nih.gov)

Mechanism Underlying Post-menopausal Osteoporosis: HIF1α is Required for Osteoclast Activation by Estrogen Deficiency (jst.go.jp)

Cardiovascular Fat, Menopause, and Sex Hormones in Women: The SWAN Cardiovascular Fat Ancillary Study | The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

Thank you for reading Patient Education Essentials, the Write Shift RN blog.

Disclaimer: This article was written as a guest post for Write Shift RN LLC's blog. The information in it may not be wholly fact-checked or edited, allowing the reader to see the writer's work and skills firsthand. This information is not intended as medical advice. It is for informational and educational purposes only. Always talk to your doctor or other qualified healthcare providers about any questions or concerns you may have regarding medical conditions.