Decade Before Menopause Critical Time in Women's Health
Posted Oct 01 2008 8:20pm
New animal research is raising questions about when a woman's changing hormone levels put her at risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., say studies on monkeys reveal bone loss and the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries begins to accelerate during perimenopause -- the five years to 10 years before menopause. They also note stress in a woman's younger years can affect estrogen production, thus increasing disease risk.
New animal research is raising questions about when a woman's changing hormone levels put her at risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., say studies on monkeys reveal bone loss and the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries begins to accelerate during perimenopause -- the five years to 10 years before menopause. They also note stress in a woman's younger years can affect estrogen production, thus increasing disease risk.
Read release here