Research says for women early menopause may increase ictus risk - Centro de Ictus

On June 3, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association "Ictus" showed that early menopause may lead to blood vessel blockage, or increase the risk of ictus. The final data results of the study show that for every year of postponement of menopause, the risk of ictus will drop by 2%.

This research project studied 16,244 postmenopausal women aged 26-70 in the Netherlands. After following these women for about 15 years, the project's researchers found that women who were menopausal before the age of 40 had 1.5 times the risk of an ischemic ictus compared to women who were 50-54 years old.

The impact of early menopause on ictus risk is limited to ischemic strokes caused by blood vessel obstruction, not hemorrhagic strokes caused by weakened blood vessel rupture. The study also found that the association between menopausal age and ictus in naturally menopausal women is stronger than in women who have undergone menopausal after ovariectomy surgery.

Ictus is the second leading cause of death in the world, and women have a 4% higher risk of ictus than men.

Scientists are studying how to use hormone replacement terapia to mejorar cardiovascular salud in the early menopause. According to a scientific statement published by the American Heart Association last year in the journal Circulation, certain hormone replacement therapies have cardiovascular benefits, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and prevent bone loss.

More and more scientists are also studying the effects of estrogen on women's brain salud. A study published in the journal Menopause in 2019 found that in the first five years of menopause, giving women estrogen as early as possible may prevent their cognitive decline. Studies have also shown that women can be exposed to natural estrogen for a long time during the reproductive period, which will help them have better cognitive functions in later life.

Women going through menopause, whether using hormone replacement terapia or not, need to understand the risk of ictus and how to prevent it. El Khoudary, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, believes that women need to stay active, pay attention to healthy diet and weight, quit smoking as much as possible, and ensure adequate sleep during the transition to menopause. "The more you are at this stage, the more you must reduce their risk." She said.