By  Dr.P.M.Sharma  


Cardiovascular Risks In Postmenopausal Women

Lifestyle Change Interventions May Be An Effective Means For Reducing Cardiovascular Risk In Obese, Sedentary, Postmenopausal Women. For Most Women, Obesity Peaks During And After Menopause In The Fourth And Fifth Decades Of Life (i.e., Nearly One Third Are Overweight, And Another One Third Are Obese). Obesity And Physical Inactivity Cost Over 94 Billion In Estimated Annual Healthcare Dollars. Women Are Among The Most Sedentary And Obese Segments Of The U.S. Population.

Being Postmenopausal, Obese, And Sedentary Are Independent Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Several Research Investigations Have Suggested That As Women Enter Menopause, There Is A Marked Increase In The Prevalence Of Atherosclerosis And Clinical CVD, Including A Greater Likelihood Of Myocardial Infarction (MI) And All-cause Mortality.

This Finds A Striking Similarity With What Ayurveda Has Proponded Thousands Of Years Back. The Occurrence Of Atherosclerosis And CVD Are, In Part, Attributed To High Vata Dosha Levels During Older Years Of A Womens’ Lives And Ama (toxic) Accumulation In The Body Srotas Or Channels.

In A Population-based Study Of 541 Middle-aged Women Enrolled When They Were Premenopausal And Followed Through Menopause (Healthy Women Study), Weight Gain Was Significantly Associated With Increases In Blood Pressure, Total Cholesterol, Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL), Triglycerides, And Fasting Insulin.

Although Both Premenopausal And Postmenopausal Women Tended To Gain Weight At A Similar Rate, Weight Gain In Postmenopausal Women Was Related To Increases In Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Risk Factors (i.e., A Significant Decrease In High-density Lipoprotein [HDL] And A Trend Toward Increased LDL).

It Is Notable, However, That Participants In The Healthy Women Study Who Increased Their Physical Activity During The 3-year Interval Had The Smallest Increases In Weight And Tended To Have The Smallest Decreases In Total HDL. The Changes In Lipids Due To Physical Activity Were Largely Independent Of Changes In Body Weight, Suggesting That Physical Activity May Mitigate The Effects Of Aging And Weight Gain On Heart Disease Risk.

These Findings Suggest That Weight Gain During And After Menopause May Contribute More To CVD Than Weight Gain Prior To Menopause And That Weight Loss And Increased Physical Activity May Mitigate Some Of The CVD Risk Factors (i.e., High Cholesterol, Insulin Resistance).

Not Surprisingly, A Panel Of Experts Convened Through The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Concluded That Therapeutic Lifestyle Change, Emphasizing Increased Physical Activity, Reduced Intake Of Fat And Cholesterol, And Moderate Weight Loss, Is "the Foundation Of Clinical Primary Prevention" Of CVD. These Conclusions Regarding Lifestyle Change May Be Significant In Light Of Recent Research Suggesting That Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Women Does Not Reduce And May Increase The Overall Rate Of CVD Events.

Ayurvedic Therapy For Postmenopausal Women Advocates The Use Of Lifestyle Interventions As The Primary Model To Inhibit Factors That Lead To CVD. This Is Apart From The Judicious Use Herbal Combinations, Minutely Customized Dietary Plans, Yoga Asanas And Breathing Techniques.

Postmenopausal Women Who Are At Risk Of Developing CVD Can Estimate The Possibility By Some Of Commonest Symptoms As High Blood Pressure, Anxiety, Blazing Sensations In Limbs, Palpitation, General Body Weakness, Non-specific Body Pains, Weakness Of Bones, And Occurrence Of Irritating Behavior.

Ayurveda Attributes All Such Occurrences To Dosha Imbalances. For Example, Kapha Dosha Malfunction Leads To Weight Gain, Disturbed Vata Dosha Can Result In Fluctuating Blood Pressure Levels, And Pitta Dosha Imbalance Can Cause Burning Sensation, Dryness Of Mouth, And Hyper Pigmentation Etc. Dosha Imbalance Can Be Different In Different Women, And The Intensity Of The Symptoms Can Actually Depend On The Predominance Of Any Particular Dosha Imbalance.

-- Editor

JAY

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