Heart disease risk in women with early menopause

Heart diseases have been linked to menopause. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH

Women who attain menopause before the age of 50 are at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, according to a study.

This means that early menopause has joined, among others, hypertension, which is the most significant heart disease risk factor.

"Women under 40 who experience premature menopause are nearly twice as likely to have a non-fatal cardiovascular event before the age of 60. Women who were aged between 40 and 44 in menopause were 40 per cent more likely to suffer from a cardiovascular condition," said Prof Gita Mishra who lead a team of researchers in the study by The University of Queensland.

Early menopause was also directly linked with women being exposed to non-fatal cardiac events like heart attack or stroke. Obesity, being overweight, and smoking were also singled out as contributory risk factors to women with early menopause.