The American Heart Association has designated the month of February as American Heart Month to raise awareness about heart disease and the healthy choices we can make to prevent it. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, and the risk dramatically increases with menopause.  While some risk factors are out of our control, such as family history, genetics, and aging, many of the risk factors for developing heart or cardiovascular disease are more often than not within our control. For example, lifestyle habits and behaviors such as smoking cessation, physical activity, healthy food selection, and how we cope with mental and emotional stressors, like feeling angry, can be modified.

Although there are many factors involved in the development of CVD, there is speculation that the hormonal shifts experienced during the transition into menopause may play a part. Estrogen is one of the key transitional hormones during this changeover and its low levels during menopause are strongly associated with increasing cardiovascular risk. For its role in several aspects of cardiovascular disease prevention, estradiol has been the subject of various investigations through the years.

Known actions of estrogen include: raising high density lipoproteins (HDL), lowering cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL); and dilating and relaxing blood vessels. Changes in blood lipid levels and vessel tone are major risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.

Estrogen also displays antioxidant effects and protects against oxidative stress.

It’s time to consider the female physiology with the evidence on estrogen replacement if we want to stem the tide of cardiovascular disease.

To find out if you are estrogen deficient, ZRT offers estradiol testing in four body fluids for your convenience – saliva, blood spot, dried urine, and serum. A prescription is not required. Let me know if you would like more information on hormone testing, how to get a test kit, and more.