Asestrogen levels declineand stay low with age, recent data suggests women over the age of 75 may surpass men of the same age when it comes to heart disease risk.
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How Estrogen Affects Cholesterol Levels
The majority of estrogen’s protective effects are likely to come from its influence on regulatingcholesterol levels. Estrogen acts on the liver to cause an overall reduction in the total amount of cholesterol in the body, an increase in the amount ofhigh-density lipoprotein (HDL)good cholesterol. and a decrease in the amount oflow-density lipoprotein (LDL)bad cholesterol.
Over time, bad cholesterol can accumulate as deposits in your blood vessels. This can lead to blockages that interfere with the delivery of blood to your heart. Decreasing your level of bad cholesterol reduces the likelihood of these blockages forming.
Good cholesterol, on the other hand, is actually an anti-blockage type of cholesterol. Good cholesterol reduces both the amount of bad cholesterol present in the body and makes bad cholesterol less able to accumulate into the types of deposits that cause blockages.
Estrogen and the Immune System
Once bad cholesterol has deposited in the blood vessels, a complicated immune system reaction causes the affected vessel to become inflamed. This inflammation leads to further blockage while increasing the risk that a part of the deposit may break off and travel downstream to a narrow area of your vessel. Here it can lodge and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Preventing Heart Disease
Regardless of your age or estrogen level, you can lower your risk of heart disease through lifestyle adjustments. One of the best things you can do for your heart is to stop smoking. If you smoke, talk to your healthcare provider about quitting; your healthcare provider can give you tips, resources, and medications that can make quitting easier.
Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet are also greatly beneficial for heart health. If you want to adopt a healthier lifestyle, but aren’t sure where to begin, talk to a nutritionist about your diet and work with a personal trainer to identify which workouts are best for your body and activity level.
8 Foods to Increase HDL Good Cholesterol
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Crescioli C.The role of estrogens and vitamin D in cardiomyocyte protection: A female perspective.Biomolecules. 2021 Dec 2;11(12):1815. doi:10.3390/biom11121815Niță AR, Knock GA, Heads RJ.Signalling mechanisms in the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen: With a focus on rapid/membrane signalling.Curr Res Physiol.2021 Mar 28;4:103-118. doi:10.1016/j.crphys.2021.03.003Additional ReadingDerry PS.Update on Hormones, Menopause, and Heart Disease: Evaluating Professional Responses to the Women’s Health Initiative.Health Care Women Int. 2008;29(7):720-37.Sare GM, Gray LJ, Bath PM.Association Between Hormone Replacement Therapy and Subsequent Arterial and Venous Vascular Events: A Meta-Analysis.Eur Heart J. 2008 Jul.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Crescioli C.The role of estrogens and vitamin D in cardiomyocyte protection: A female perspective.Biomolecules. 2021 Dec 2;11(12):1815. doi:10.3390/biom11121815Niță AR, Knock GA, Heads RJ.Signalling mechanisms in the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen: With a focus on rapid/membrane signalling.Curr Res Physiol.2021 Mar 28;4:103-118. doi:10.1016/j.crphys.2021.03.003Additional ReadingDerry PS.Update on Hormones, Menopause, and Heart Disease: Evaluating Professional Responses to the Women’s Health Initiative.Health Care Women Int. 2008;29(7):720-37.Sare GM, Gray LJ, Bath PM.Association Between Hormone Replacement Therapy and Subsequent Arterial and Venous Vascular Events: A Meta-Analysis.Eur Heart J. 2008 Jul.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Crescioli C.The role of estrogens and vitamin D in cardiomyocyte protection: A female perspective.Biomolecules. 2021 Dec 2;11(12):1815. doi:10.3390/biom11121815Niță AR, Knock GA, Heads RJ.Signalling mechanisms in the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen: With a focus on rapid/membrane signalling.Curr Res Physiol.2021 Mar 28;4:103-118. doi:10.1016/j.crphys.2021.03.003
Crescioli C.The role of estrogens and vitamin D in cardiomyocyte protection: A female perspective.Biomolecules. 2021 Dec 2;11(12):1815. doi:10.3390/biom11121815
Niță AR, Knock GA, Heads RJ.Signalling mechanisms in the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen: With a focus on rapid/membrane signalling.Curr Res Physiol.2021 Mar 28;4:103-118. doi:10.1016/j.crphys.2021.03.003
Derry PS.Update on Hormones, Menopause, and Heart Disease: Evaluating Professional Responses to the Women’s Health Initiative.Health Care Women Int. 2008;29(7):720-37.Sare GM, Gray LJ, Bath PM.Association Between Hormone Replacement Therapy and Subsequent Arterial and Venous Vascular Events: A Meta-Analysis.Eur Heart J. 2008 Jul.
Derry PS.Update on Hormones, Menopause, and Heart Disease: Evaluating Professional Responses to the Women’s Health Initiative.Health Care Women Int. 2008;29(7):720-37.
Sare GM, Gray LJ, Bath PM.Association Between Hormone Replacement Therapy and Subsequent Arterial and Venous Vascular Events: A Meta-Analysis.Eur Heart J. 2008 Jul.
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