Happy hormones, happy heart

Anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flashes, sleep problems, chills, night sweats, mood changes, weight gain, thinning hair – menopause is not for sissies. One of the hidden issues, though, is an increase in cholesterol levels

- LORRAINE KEARNEY

The menopause. For something that affects half the world’s population, there is precious little information out there that is getting to the very folk who need it most.

Menopause has myriad effects on your body, mental health and emotional well-being; it is more than just the end of your periods. But what exactly are those effects?

Well, one of the least known is the link between menopause and cholesterol. That’s right. Your cholesterol levels can be spiking even though you exercise and follow a heart-healthy diet. And it’s all because of the profound hormonal changes your body is living through.

Dr Louise Newson, a GP and globally renowned menopause specialist based in the UK, breaks it down.

‘We often frame menopause in terms of those instantly recognisable, outward symptoms such as hot flashes or night sweats,’ she says, ‘however, changing hormone levels mean there can be a lot going on inside our bodies too.’

Oestrogen, the key hormone that falls during menopause, isn’t just a hormone used in your reproductive system – it’s important for your whole body. There are oestrogen receptors in cells throughout your body, and one of the roles oestrogen plays a part in is maintaining good cardiovascular health. Oestrogen has a protective effect on your blood vessels and your heart.

It helps to raise the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, ‘good cholesterol’, and to remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, ‘bad cholesterol’, from the bloodstream. Oestrogen also helps to maintain healthy blood vessel function and prevents the formation of blood clots.