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High Cholesterol in Women - And The Effects of Menopause
Oestrogen helps keep cholesterol down until menopause, but what about after?
Heart disease is the leading killer of both women and men, but when it comes to cholesterol, the sexes were not created equal.
* Before menopause, naturally high levels of oestrogen can help women maintain healthy cholesterol levels and protect them from heart disease. However when oestrogen starts to decline during the years preceding menopause (average age of menopause 51) or by removal of the ovaries, High-density lipoproteins (HDL, or “good” cholesterol) typically drop, too.
* HDL levels of 60 ml/decilitre and above are considered optimum for both men and women. Men are considered to have low HDL cholesterol at less than 40 mg/dL. Women have low HDL cholesterol at less than 50 mg/dL.
* It is recommended that both men and women begin having their cholesterol tested every five years in their 20s. One exception? Young women who take birth control pills may need earlier and more frequent testing because the hormones in oral contraceptives may affect cholesterol levels and may enhance coagulation (blood clotting). The oestrogen in oral contraceptives appears to increase HDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol levels, yet it decreases low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). Progestin in oral contraceptives seems to have the opposite effect. If you take oral contraceptives, discuss cholesterol testing and other risk factors with your doctor.
* Cholesterol medications appear to work differently in men and women. In several studies of statins, for example, women seemed to reap fewer benefits than men.
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