Black women are more prone than any other group of women in the United States to develop high blood pressure—and this usually occurs at a younger age. A new study now indicates another factor that could raise this risk: going through menopause earlier than expected. The study finds that women who experience menopause before the age of 40 are significantly more likely to develop high blood pressure later in life, which shows that reproductive health should be considered an important aspect of general heart health.
The Cleveland Clinic states that menopause has set in if you go for twelve consecutive months without having a period, and natural menopause usually occurs at about age 51.
The difference between premature menopause and early menopause is when it happens:
Menopause may take place in your 20s, 30s or 40s; however, it is rare for it to occur in your 30s.
In addition to changes to your cycle, other early menopause symptoms include:
RELATED: Can Endometriosis Lead To An Early Menopause?
Researchers found that nearly 23 percent of women with premature menopause and 19 percent of women with early menopause had high blood pressure, compared to under 17 percent of women with normal menopause, researchers found.
Overall, premature menopause brought a 12 percent higher risk of high blood pressure compared to women who reached menopause after age 45, researchers reported recently in the journal Menopause.
Based on these results, researchers recommended that doctors treat a woman’s age at menopause as a distinct heart risk factor, especially if she reached menopause earlier than age 40.
“Our study confirms a significant association between premature menopause (before age 40) and an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, with the risk peaking between ages 25 and 35,” wrote the research team led by Dr. Vicente Arrarte. He is head of clinical cardiology at the Dr. Balmis University Hospital of Alicante in Spain.
“This association persists even after adjusting for other known cardiovascular risk factors, highlighting the importance of considering the age at menopause as a cardiovascular risk factor when assessing women’s health,” the team concluded.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 108,000 women participating in the UK Biobank, a large-scale health research project in the United Kingdom. The women were enrolled between 2006 and 2010, and tracked through the end of 2023.
During the follow-up period, about 17 percent of the women overall were diagnosed with high blood pressure, with their risk climbing steadily as their age at menopause dropped.
The fact that risk peaks between menopause at 25 to 35 suggests that the heart health risk from premature menopause might be concentrated in an even younger group of women than earlier considered, researchers said.
However, women who underwent early menopause due to surgical removal of their ovaries did not have a similarly increased risk of high blood pressure, after other risk factors were taken into account, results showed.
RELATED: 5 Causes Of Early Menopause
High blood pressure usually develops without any noticeable symptoms, which is why it is known as “the silent killer”; if it is not treated, it can greatly raise the risk of having a heart attack, a stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease.
The researchers say these findings reinforce the need for women who experience premature menopause to receive regular cardiovascular screenings and proactive preventive care. This is especially important for Black women. Research shows that “Black women under 35 who were treated for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, had triple the risk of having a stroke, and those who developed the condition before age 45 had double the risk.”
“The results of this study highlight the potential adverse long-term health outcomes associated with premature menopause, and in particular, the need to regularly screen for cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society, in a news release.
Faubion, who was not involved in the research, also noted that hormone therapy is generally recommended for women with premature menopause until they reach the average age of natural menopause, provided there are no medical reasons that would make hormone therapy unsafe.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should discuss the pros and cons of hormone therapy with your doctor. If early menopause affects your fertility, a fertility specialist can help you explore options for having a child. A provider can also help you reduce the symptoms and side effects of early menopause.
Although the age at which a woman goes through menopause cannot be altered, it is useful to know your history of menopause in order to gain some insight into your future health. If your menopause took place before the age of 40— even before 45—then you should discuss your cardiovascular risk profile with your healthcare provider and consider starting blood pressure monitoring or heart health screenings earlier than is normal.
A heart-healthy way of life can also make a significant difference. It is important to stay physically active, eat a well-balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking, limit alcohol intake, manage stress, and have regular medical checkups, since these measures can help lower the risk of developing high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disorders. If you are aware of the situation early on and take preventive care, it may be possible to protect your heart for many years to come.
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