Early Menopause Increases Heart Failure Risk, Especially For Smokers

Researchers in Sweden, have found that women who go through menopause early — at ages 40 to 45 — have a higher rate of heart failure. It is the first large-scale (including more than 22,000 postmenopausal women) and long-term study linking early menopause and heart disease. Smoking, current or past, raises the rate even more. The authors’ analysis of the data showed that women who went through menopause naturally at this early age had a rate of heart failure some 40% higher than women who went through menopause the usual age between 50 and 54. (The average is 51.) And for every one-year increase in age at menopause, the rate of heart failure was 2% lower.

Premature Menopause May Affect Women’s Mental Function

Compared to those who began menopause after age 50, women with premature menopause were 40 percent more likely to do poorly on verbal and visual memory tests, the study found. They further reported that these women also had a 35 percent higher risk of decline in psychomotor speed (coordination between the brain and the muscles that brings about movement) and overall mental function.

Inactivity May Cause More Heart Disease Than Smoking

Physical inactivity ranks higher than smoking, obesity, or high blood pressure among the causes of heart disease in Australian women older than 30 years, a new study shows.

What Happens To Menopausal Mice When They Are Given CoQ10?

Mice were put into medically induced menopause and within four weeks had a cognitive decline. In this study, the mice were administered CoQ10…. Administration of daily CoQ10 for 4weeks was found to reverse cognitive deficits observed in the menopausal mice.

The FDA Reports That There Is No Evidence To Support The General Use Of Aspirin To Prevent Primary Heart Attacks And Strokes-Others Disagree

The FDA has said that there is no evidence to support the general use of aspirin to prevent primary heart attacks and strokes. Not all organizations agree with the FDA’s stance, however.   The American Heart Association recommends using aspirin for primary prevention in patients with an elevated risk for coronary disease. In guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke, the AHA wrote: “The use of aspirin for cardiovascular (including but not specific to stroke) prophylaxis is recommended for persons whose risk is sufficiently high for the benefits to outweigh the risks associated with treatment (a 10-year risk of cardiovascular events of 6% to 10%) (Class I; Level of Evidence A).”

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends aspirin use for primary prevention in men ages 45 to 79 when the expected reduction in the risk of myocardial infarction outweighs the potential harm of gastrointestinal bleeding and in women ages 55 to 79 when the expected reduction in the risk of stroke outweighs the potential harm of GI bleeding. But it is not recommended in younger patients, and the task force found insufficient evidence to make a recommendation in those 80 and older.