Menopause 101
What Happens To My Heart and Bones?

Adapted by Tracee Cornforth

You may not even notice two important aspects of menopause. These are a loss of bone tissue, which can weaken bones and cause osteoporosis, and higher cholesterol levels, which may lead to cardiovascular (heart) disease.

Osteoporosis. Many people do not know they have weak bones until they break a hip, wrist, or vertebrae (bones in the spine). Osteoporosis develops as people age because their bones grow thinner and become less dense. With time bones may become weak and may break. For women, the loss of estrogen around the time of menopause means that they may lose bone strength faster.

The good news is that the risk of osteoporosis can be lowered. First, get plenty of calcium and vitamin D, both before and after menopause. Second, exercising often may also help keep muscles and bones strong and lessen the chance of falls and broken bones. Aim for thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, or weight lifting 3 days a week or more. Third, taking estrogen or one of several other drugs available will also prevent further loss of bone. Drugs approved for osteoporosis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include raloxifene, alendronate, and calcitonin.

Heart disease. Young women have a lower risk of heart disease than do men. This changes with age. Falling estrogen levels during menopause may lead to higher cholesterol levels in older women. This, in turn, increases the chance of heart disease, stroke, and other diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. After menopause, a woman’s risk of heart disease grows to almost equal the risk for a man. In fact, heart disease kills more women than lung or breast cancer.

You can lower your chance of heart disease by eating low-fat foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods; not smoking; losing weight; and exercising regularly. Some experts believe that using estrogen or estrogen/progesterone supplements may also lower the risk of heart disease in women after menopause.

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Adapted from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging

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