Menopause is the opportunity for doctors to identify cardiovascular disease and encourage better lifestyle. Advice often perceived as too theoretical by the main interested parties. To concretely assess the benefits that women could draw from it – and encourage them to modify their lifestyle, in particular those who experienced an early (between 40 and 44 year old) or premature (before the age of 40), an Australian team studied the link between menopause age, cardiovascular risk and effects of a healthy lifestyle.
These women, in whom menopause has settled earlier than the usual age (51 years on average in France), are exposed to an over-risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, as the fall in the rate of estrogens has even more harmful metabolic and vascular consequences.
A healthy lifestyle, protection against cardiovascular risk linked to early menopause
The study “45 and UP Study” of the Sax Institute (New South Wales, Australia) included more than 46,000 women aged 45 or over without history of cardiovascular pathology between 2005 and 2009 and then interviewed them twice, in 2012-2015 and 2018-2020. The main criterion was the occurrence of a infarction or a stroke. The calculations thus made it possible to compare the cardiovascular risk in the event of premature or early menopause with that associated with a “classic” menopause occurring between 50 and 52 years, by adjusting the results according to the socio -demographic and clinical female characteristics. Membership of a healthy lifestyle has been measured using a score taking into account five elements: tobacco, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, sleep and food.
The study confirms what other studies had highlighted, that women whose menopause occurs earlier than the usual age have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The risk of cardiovascular disease was 36 % higher in the event of premature menopause and 15 % higher in the event of early occurrence, compared to a menopause occurring between 50 and 52 years.
-However, and this is the good news that had not yet been shown on such a large cohort of women, this risk can be attenuated: for all women, strong adhesion to a healthy lifestyle reduced this risk by 23 % compared to low membership. In women with a premature menopause, who are the most exposed, this drop reached 52 %.
Everyone wins
In addition, the effect of the lifestyle not being modified by the age of occurrence of menopause, this benefit applies to all. The authors therefore encourage women of all ages to adopt a healthy lifestyle combining a balanced diet, physical activity, less sedentary lifestyle and good sleep, with the key to a constant decrease in cardiovascular risk.
Source: Pant A et al. Age of Menopause, Healthy Lifestyle and Cardiovascular Disease in Women: A Prospective Cohort Study. Heart. 2025 Feb 26; 111 (6): 262-268; Menopause better safety to use inserm hormonal treatments (accessed 04/23/25).
