Monday, September 30, 2019

Blood pressure and its link to menopause


Increasing age and declining metabolism mostly leads to women becoming less active. This coupled with weight gain contributes to high blood pressure leading to heart diseases.


Menopause is the biological process of the end of the menstrual cycle of a woman. It occurs due to a natural decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. Menopause leads to hormonal and biological changes in the body including weight gain and hot flashes. Alongside these, it also raises the risk of heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm) and high blood pressure.

Menopause, a heart disease risk
The level of estrogen, the hormone which plays a crucial role in overall health, declines following menopause. Low estrogen levels impact the flow of blood and the heart needs to pump harder to ensure proper blood circulation, leading to increased blood pressure. This in turn strains the heart.

Increasing age and declining metabolism mostly leads to women becoming less active. This coupled with weight gain contributes to high blood pressure leading to heart diseases.
Apart from this, menopausal women are sensitive to salt and excessive sodium in the body can lead to water retention, thereby creating pressure on the blood vessels.
Warning signs of high blood pressure in menopausal women

Following symptoms should not be ignored in menopausal women as they may be an indication of high blood pressure:
Palpitations in the heart
Family history of heart disease
Shortness of breath
Heaviness in the chest
Headache
Lightheadedness or dizziness
Diabetic or high cholesterol levels
Obstructive sleep apnea (sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts)

Business Standard


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