Menopause: 4 Tips For A Healthy Heart

Menopause: 4 Tips For A Healthy HeartHeart health in menopause is very important. Yet, many doctors don’t advise their patients efficiently. Here are four tips you can give to every patient.Hormone and body composition changes during the transition to menopause and this can increase the risk of developing heart disease after menopause. The American Heart Association offers tips to support women’s heart health during this transition.“More women in the U.S. are living longer, and a significant portion of them will spend up to 40 % of their lives postmenopausal,” said Brooke Aggarwal, assistant professor of medical sciences in Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center and a volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.Heart Health In MenopauseAs women grow and change so does their risk for cardiovascular disease. “Navigating through menopause isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is the journey to good heart health,” Aggarwal added. “This makes it even more important to focus on heart and brain health at all stages of life.”The best defense against menopause-related changes is working with your patients to make sure their key health numbers are in a healthy range and help them to understand which healthy habits they can fine tune to boost their heart health. There four tips can help your patients:

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Health by the numbers: Blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index should be monitored yearly. More often if the numbers are out of range. Cholesterol level is also important, and healthy numbers are more individualized based on other risk factors.

The best way to eat: No single food is a miracle-worker for health. Instead, look at your patient’s overall pattern of eating. Experts at the American Heart Association rated 10 popular eating patterns and the DASH-style and Mediterranean-style way of eating rose to the top as having the most heart-healthy elements: high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, healthy fat and lean protein; and low in salt, sugar, alcohol and processed foods.

Exercise that does double-duty: Strength and resistance training is one of the four types of exercise in a general workout routine along with endurance, balance and flexibility. Strength and resistance have the added benefit of increasing bone strength and muscle mass. As women enter menopause, bone density may take a hit and body composition tends to shift to lower muscle mass. Strength training at least twice a week can help bones and muscles maintain strength and density.

Sleep well: Healthy sleep is part of the 8 essential elements of heart health, but the transition to menopause comes with myriad interruptions to a good night’s rest – nightly restroom trips, night sweats, insomnia. However, a healthy sleep schedule is very important and has great health benefits: stronger immune system, better mood, more energy, clearer thinking and lower risk of chronic diseases.

This article is based on a press release by the American Heart Association. You can find the original publication here and by following the link in our text.Image source: JBS Co., unsplash