1. YOUR HORMONES

efore the menopause, your oestrogen levels should help to keep your risk of heart disease low. But when you reach the menopause (around the age in March 2021, women’s blood pressure and “bad" LDL-cholesterol levels often increase at the menopause, which may increase the risk of a heart attack. Autoimmune conditions (caused by an overactive immune system), such as thyroid problems, are more common in women than in men, and may make you more likely to have heart disease too. “The female hormone oestradiol has a very protective effect on blood vessels and the heart,” says Dr Louise Newson, leading menopause specialist and founder of which offers free menopausal support for women. “The risk of a heart attack in a menopausal woman is five times greater than the risk before her menopause. Women who take the right dose and type of HRT (containing oestradiol) have a lower future risk of developing heart disease and heart attacks. They often find their cholesterol lowers and their blood pressure reduces. Young women who have had an early menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency have lower oestradiol levels for longer, and have a higher risk of heart disease than women who experience the menopause at an older age.”