Perimenopause critical time for women's health

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Research in female monkeys suggests the perimenopause is the time when heart disease may best be prevented.
The perimenopause is the five to ten years before a woman starts the menopause proper. A team at Wake Forest University now reveals results from monkey studies that show this is when there are the earliest signs of heart disease. Until after menopause, women have lower rates of heart disease than men, with their higher levels of estrogen thought to be protective.

The researchers found that treating monkeys with estrogen could slow down the development of heart disease. They think that the heart disease process may start in perimenopause, when estrogen levels first begin to fall. Some physicians advocate a woman taking oral contraceptives up to menopause and then replacing it with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, clinical trials have not shown a benefit to women from taking HRT to prevent heart disease. This new animal research suggests that maybe there is a 'window of opportunity' before the menopause when women can start HRT and get the protection from heart disease that estrogen ought to give.

Source
American College of Veterinary Pathologists meeting 5th December 2005

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