Menopause means that your menstrual periods have stopped permanently. Menopause is not a disease but it is a natural phase of a woman’s life.
The risk of heart problems increases for everyone as they age, but for women cardiac issues may be more evident after the menopause.
With menopause, levels of the female hormone estrogen gradually falls. After few years of menopause the body stops producing this hormone. These changes in estrogen levels are thought to affect your heart health. It is believed that the high estrogen levels before menopause protect the blood vessels from damage. Once estrogen production reduces, this protection also decreases and the risk for a heart attack and stroke goes up. One common problem in post menopausal women is palpitations.
Women who have always been following a healthy lifestyle and continue to do so after menopause their risk for heart problems is lower as compared to others.
Women after menopause should take care of their health through regular exercise and good nutrition and balanced diet along with proper sleep. On the other hand unhealthy habits like smoking, having high fat diet and junk food, leading a sedentary life may contribute to bad heart health especially post menopause stage.
So eat healthy. Take more fruits and vegetables along with whole grains. Take soya products. Avoid sugar and food with high fat content.
Do regular exercise. Forty minutes of brisk walking is a good exercise. You can also do jogging, cycling or swimming. Try to take a diet and exercise plan to keep your weight under control as you tend to gain weight post menopause stage. Get rid of unhealthy habits like smoking.