Are you doing your best to prevent heart disease? Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. In fact, 1 in 4 people die of heart disease each year. Most people think living an active lifestyle and eating healthy is enough to prevent this deadly condition, but is there is more we can do!
Lifestyle choices such as smoking and inactivity certainly contribute to our risk of heart disease. Our genetic predisposition and diseases such as elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes also play an important role. Many adults do not realize that Andropause, commonly known as low testosterone, and Menopause are also major factors that can affect our overall risk. As we lose these protective hormones over time, this can significantly increase our risk of developing heart disease and several other preventable conditions.
What can we do to avoid getting diagnosed with the potentially fatal condition? At 25 Again, our medical experts recommend understanding the levels of many key biomarkers in your body. Two of the most important include Testosterone and Estradiol.
How does testosterone affect heart health?
Testosterone is a vital hormone for men when looking at heart health. It’s known that low testosterone levels do in fact increase risk for cardiovascular events and has also been described as a global health concern. Low Testosterone is not only a concern for older men, but many young men have low testosterone levels and symptoms. Testosterone has been well documented for more than 70 years with numerous studies supporting its use and noting its positive effects on the heart. “Recent studies have described a relationship between low levels of endogenous T and atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, or CV events.” (6).
Signs of low testosterone:
- Low energy
- Low sexual desire
- Poor focus
- Low motivation
- Loss of muscle mass
How does estradiol affect heart health?
Estradiol is a hormone that protects the heart throughout a woman’s life. As women approach menopause they begin to lose this protection due to declining hormone levels. In turn, this increases a woman’s risk for developing heart disease. In an article posted by the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Arson explained “… women using hormone replacement therapy were overall 30 percent less likely to die than those not on hormone therapy. Women using hormone replacement therapy were also 20 percent more likely to have a coronary calcium score of zero (the lowest possible score, indicating a low likelihood of heart attack) and 36 percent less likely to have a coronary calcium score above 399 (indicative of severe atherosclerosis and high heart attack risk).” (4) Hormone replacement therapy also results in lower atherosclerosis and improved survival for all age groups. Long-term consequences of premature or early menopause not only include adverse effects on cognition, mood, cardiovascular, bone, and sexual health but also lead to increased risk of early mortality.
Signs of menopause:
- Hot Flashes/Night Sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Mood fluctuations
- Weight gain
What should you do to improve heart health?
It is important to get our hormone levels checked from a disease prevention standpoint on a regular basis we age. Since cardiovascular disease remains the #1 killer of men and women in the United States, it is imperative to seek out a hormone therapy provider if you are concerned you are developing signs or symptoms associated with andropause or menopause.
Sources
Andropause: Current concepts
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4046605
Fundamental Concepts Regarding Testosterone Deficiency and Treatment: International Expert Consensus Resolutions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27313122
Heart Disease Facts
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
Hormone Replacement Therapy Associated with Lower Mortality
Long-term health consequences of premature or early menopause and considerations for management.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25845383
Testosterone and Cardiovascular Disease
http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/67/5/545
