Menopause: Navigating the Transition and Health Risks

Menopause marks a significant transition in a woman's life with various health risks and changes. This blog continues our discussion of menopause and how women can navigate this change. 

Health risks commonly associated with menopause include coronary artery disease, insulin resistance, neuro inflammation, visceral fat gain, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis. Below is a helpful guide on what you need to know about these risks.

1. Coronary Artery Disease: It is the leading cause of death for women. And the risk for developing it increases after age 50 at which many women are already or soon to be postmenopausal. This is not surprising as menopause is known to drive up total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, which are all risk factors for heart disease.

2. Insulin Resistance: Estrogen is important in glucose metabolism. Without estrogen, metabolic dysfunction can occur rapidly. This means that you can become at increased risk for pre-diabetes and possibly even type two diabetes. Insulin resistance can also lead to metabolic syndrome, which is a group of conditions that also increases your risk of coronary disease and stroke. This can manifest as elevated blood glucose levels, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high blood pressure.

3. Neuro Inflammation: This refers to inflammation that occurs in the brain or spinal cord. This can damage nerve cells that are essential, and it can potentially lead to the formation of plaques that are typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Women are twice as likely as men to develop Alzheimer’s, and there is much research that believes a contributing factor to this is the hormone change we experience during menopause.

4. Visceral Fat Gain: Many women who are perimenopausal or menopausal complain about weight gain, specifically in the abdominal region. As we age, we become more susceptible to gaining the type of belly fat that we refer to as visceral fat. It can be a combination of many factors, including normal aging, changes in diet and sleep quality, but also diminished estrogen levels.

5. Sarcopenia: This refers to the loss of skeletal muscle mass. It is a gradual, age-related condition. Estrogen plays an important role in helping muscle tissue regenerate and rebuild. As estrogen levels decline, they can lead to the loss of muscle, This may, in turn, decrease mobility and strength. It can also increase risks of falls and fractures as we age.

6. Osteoporosis: This is a progressive bone disease characterized by weak and brittle bones. This makes women more likely to have bone fractures and breaks in the hip, spine, or wrist. As we get older, these types of fractures are not only debilitating, but very dangerous. Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis, and our loss of estrogen is the most common cause.

It is important to be proactive in the perimenopause and menopause transition and beyond. There are many providers out there who are well educated, and want to help women feel their best and, equally important, stay healthy in the next decades of their life!

One tool that can be useful in navigating menopause is the Greene climacteric scale. It is a questionnaire that can be used to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms. The scale evaluates psychological symptoms, physical symptoms, and vasomotor symptoms (e.g. hot flashes and night sweats).

You evaluate each area and score each symptom as one for mild, two for moderate, and three for severe. You could also score a zero if you do not have that particular symptom. There are many different scales, but studies have generally shown that women who score over 12 have estrogen deficiency that is likely contributing to the noted symptoms. 

This should initiate a discussion of options for menopausal hormone therapy between a patient and provider. The Greene scale is a wonderful tool to have women evaluate symptoms they may not have considered to be related to estrogen deficiency and menopause previously.

For Dr. Blossom, breaking out of the typical model of medicine has allowed her to give each patient the care they deserve in an environment that is comfortable for both the physician and the patient. If you’re ready to get started with your concierge medicine journey, visit https://carlyleconciergemedicine.com/contact.