A medical expert urged women to monitor heart health during midlife, a crucial period for early intervention to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
In her discussion on cardiovascular issues during menopause on Saturday, part of the midyear convention of the Philippine Heart Association – Philippine College of Cardiology (PHA-PCC) held in Iloilo City, Dr. Lourdes Ella Santos highlighted the rising risk of CVD, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD), after menopause.
“There is a notable increase in cardiovascular risk after menopause,” Santos said, explaining that while premenopausal women have a lower risk, the number of cases of heart disease among women becomes equal to that of men once they reach menopause.
She said that for every 40 men who had a heart attack, one woman in her pre-menopausal stage is also experiencing the same.
However, upon reaching menopause, or the stage where women stop menstruating, the ratio shifts to 1:3, meaning that for every three men who have a heart attack, one woman also experiences it.
“It means that by the time we hit menopause, the risk is already high due to hormonal changes,” she added.
Santos warned that the risk of heart disease does not begin at menopause but starts increasing five to 10 years before, during the transition phase when menstruation becomes irregular.
A preventive cardiologist, Santos advised women to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle before the menopause stage.
It means refraining from smoking, controlling cholesterol, blood pressure, and sugar, and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.
“By the time you hit menopause, we could not fully control all because our hormones or the lack of estrogen and progesterone will start to take over your body. While we still can control, you have to control,” she added.
While diet and lifestyle changes are the first lines of defense, she acknowledged that some women may require medical therapy if additional risk factors, such as diabetes or hypertension, are present.
The PHA midyear convention gathered more than 400 health professionals, mostly cardiologists from Western Visayas, to discuss the latest guidelines in cardiology.
In a separate media briefing, PHA vice president Dr. Walid Amil said the convention focused on the recent guidelines in the field of cardiology and topics relevant and impactful to their practice.
“Heart disease is still the number one cause of mortality and morbidity in the country, and the culprits in CVD are genetic predisposition and poor lifestyle. CVDs are defined as ailments of the heart and the blood vessels, which include hypertension and strokes. And cardiovascular patients are getting younger. Now we have patients as young as 20 plus, unlike in recent decades when they were 40 and above years old,” he said.
Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that the top three causes of death in the country during the first semester of 2024 were ischemic heart diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Ischemic heart disease had 49,577 cases, accounting for 19.9 percent of the total deaths nationwide.
The PHA said it was also the leading causes of death during the same period in 2023.
“Seeing your doctor and undergoing blood chem should be a regular thing, as in every six months or annually, once you hit 30,” he said.
“But when you have a genetic predisposition, a sit-down lifestyle, a foodie, a habitual smoker and drinker at 20-something, you need to regularly visit your doctor and be compliant with his prescription and advice,” he said. (PNA)
