Cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance produced in the body, is divided into two types:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: LDL, known as bad cholesterol, builds up in the walls of blood vessels, causing them to narrow, which can lead to chest pain or more serious health problems like a heart attack.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: HDL, on the other hand, is considered good cholesterol, and high levels of this type of cholesterol are a sign of good health and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
How Does Menopause Affect Cholesterol-Related Factors?
1. Decreased Estrogen Levels
Menopause is the stage of life marked by the end of the menstrual cycle. As estrogen levels drop sharply after menopause, the protective effect is lost and changes occur that lead to an increased risk of heart disease in the years that follow
It is important to monitor your cholesterol levels during menopause. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels often drop during menopause because of the sharp drop in estrogen. Estrogen helps promote higher levels of heart-protective HDL.
2. Low HDL Levels
When HDL levels drop, “low-density lipoprotein (LDL), bad cholesterol, and triglycerides (fats circulating in the blood) often increase. These changes may be related to menopause, changes in metabolism, and less physical activity.
During menopause, increased cholesterol also accelerates plaque buildup in the arteries, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
During menopause, HDL can become dysfunctional. It is important to evaluate LDL cholesterol as an independent risk factor for heart disease.
Cholesterol that is too high or too low can cause dyslipidemia and plaque buildup, which increases the risk of heart disease.
3. Dyslipidemia
Dyslipidemia is when you have unhealthy levels of one or more types of lipids (fats) in your blood. It can be high LDL, high triglycerides (TRG), or low/poor functioning HDL.
High triglycerides occur due to suboptimal diet. While this could mean a high cholesterol diet, it is often due to a diet high in saturated fat, sugar, and other inflammatory foods. These promote the formation of atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup.
How to balance your cholesterol levels?
It is important to keep your blood vessels healthy before, during, and after menopause. You should monitor your blood pressure at home to ensure that the optimal level is 110/70mmHg. You also need to monitor your menopausal symptoms, as they can also affect your cholesterol levels.
To lower cholesterol, a healthy lifestyle has been shown to play an important role in controlling the buildup of cholesterol that leads to heart disease.
1. Diet
Certain foods have cholesterol-lowering effects. Certain cholesterol-like compounds, such as plant sterols, found in plant foods, can prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol. To maintain healthy cholesterol levels, a person can supplement foods such as eggs, shellfish, red meat lean meats, sardines, fish, and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids into your diet.
Foods high in trans fats and saturated fats can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the body. A person may want to reduce the amount of foods containing these fats, especially during perimenopause.
2. Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is not complete without regular exercise. Physical activity can also help lower cholesterol levels. Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week.
Quitting smoking is also known to lower cholesterol in smokers.
3. Body weight
Maintain a healthy weight, as being overweight or obese increases LDL cholesterol levels in the body.
