You know that your chances for developing heart disease increase with age. But now two new studies suggest there may be other reasons you’re at risk.
You reached menopause quickly. Perimenopause, the transition leading to menopause, typically begins by age 45 and can last as long as 10 years. But researchers have discovered that, compared with women who transitioned more slowly, women who made the change within three years had built up an excess of fatty plaque in their carotid arteries. “And plaque is linked to future heart attacks and strokes,” explains C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, in Los Angeles. Smokers and women who’ve had chemo or a total hysterectomy are most likely to experience a quick change. If you have any standard risk factors (such as high blood pressure), “and you know you’re at risk for rapid transition, you may want to ask your doctor about additional screenings,” Bairey Merz advises.
Your resting pulse rate is high. An analysis of 129,135 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative showed that those with elevated resting heart rates (at or above 76 beats per minute) were more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with low rates (62 beats per minute or less). Since scientists are not sure what elevates heart rate, don’t try to lower yours. Instead, think of a high resting heart rate as another reason to address risk factors, such as high cholesterol.