Did you know that February is Heart Health Month? While you’ve likely heard about the importance of preventing cardiovascular disease, you may be less familiar with the role that hormones play in heart health.
As a clinic that’s focused on hormonal health we work with many people navigating the waves of changing hormones throughout different periods of life.
People with ovaries naturally begin to produce less estrogen over time in preparation to stop ovulating and releasing eggs. As this process happens, the menstrual cycle becomes less predictable and periods may become heavier, more spread out, or erratic. Menopause starts once you’ve stopped having a period for 12 months, and the period of time before this is known as perimenopause. The typical age for the final period is anywhere from 45 to 55 and usually perimenopause starts up to ten years before that—as young as 35. Naturopathic doctor and author of the Hormone Repair Manual, Lara Briden, describes perimenopause as a “second puberty” that is not about aging but instead about an important (and unavoidable) recalibration of your hormonal system.
What’s Happening In Perimenopause?
Once ovulation stops completely, the body produces almost no progesterone. Progesterone, which the body makes after ovulation, can help with heavy periods, reduce anxiety, promote sleep, and calm the brain. Additionally, progesterone reduces inflammation, normalizes immune function, and protects the heart. Meanwhile, estrogen can spike up to three times the level it was previously at, increasing irritability and heavy periods. As these levels shift, the ratio of androgen hormones such as testosterone also changes, which can lead to relative androgen excess. With this drop in progesterone and spike in estrogen, systemic inflammation and cardiovascular health in particular can be greatly affected. While menopause does not cause heart disease, it does increase one’s long-term risk.
Research looking at heart health before, during, and after menopause provides evidence of a significant increase in the thickness of arteries and build-up of plaque, putting those in post-menopause at a heightened risk for a cardiovascular event. For those in perimenopause, this is an especially pivotal time for preventing cardiovascular disease. A 2020 study published by the American Heart Association reviewed longitudinal data of women’s cardiovascular disease before, throughout, and after menopause. This research concluded that those who incorporate nutritional and activity changes during peri-menopause had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as a lower risk of developing heart disease, during menopause and post-menopause. In other words the earlier you start incorporating these habits, the more able you are to lower your risk or reverse heart disease. Once arterial thickening has occurred for a longer period of time, which can be exacerbated by low progesterone, it is more difficult to reverse these changes.
Tips To Support Cardiovascular Health
No matter what stage of life you are in, taking care of your heart by reducing stress, adding in lots of leafy greens and whole, unprocessed foods, and incorporating daily movement that you really enjoy are immensely helpful to your circulation and cardiovascular system. There is increasing evidence that insulin resistance is a major driver of heart disease. Eating in a way that stabilizes blood sugar is a vital place to start.
A few simple tips include:
Eating a half plate of vegetables at most meals, preferably some cooked
Eating a palm size portion of lean meats and protein at each meal
Eating primarily whole foods: whole grains, legumes, fats from olive oil, nuts, avocados, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating grains and fruits with protein help to stabilize blood sugar.
15-30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day improves blood circulation to the heart, and also helps us to digest the foods we are taking in. Choose activities you enjoy!- dancing, hiking, an exercise video you resonate with, there is no “one right way” to exercise.
Keep in mind: These changes take time. Focus on one thing you can add in and start from there. Over time, cravings change and it will be easier to incorporate these habits as a regular part of your life.
In addition to nutritional and activity changes, naturopathic doctor and hormone expert Lara Briden recommends specific supplements that perimenopausal women may want to talk with their healthcare provider about. Specifically, the combination of magnesium and taurine, as well as bio-identical hormones including transdermal estrogen and natural progesterone, can help balance hormones and allow the body to have a more easeful experience with natural hormone fluctuation.
Some supplements to consider asking your acupuncturist or other healthcare provider about to support heart health include:
Fish oil: Omega-3 fish oils help to reduce the risk of coronary arterial disease as well as insulin resistance. Omega-3s lower inflammation, blood pressure and triglycerides. Those on blood thinners should talk with their doctor about whether this is an appropriate supplement.
Magnesium: a 2018 review study in the British Medical Journal concluded that magnesium deficiency is common, is associated with higher risk of heart disease, and that supplementing with magnesium improves blood pressure, and reduces risk of heart attack and stroke. Magnesium has also been shown to reverse insulin resistance and reduce inflammation.
Taurine: regulates intracellular levels of Calcium to prevent calcification, and has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are specifically helpful to the heart.
Vitamin D3: helps to lower inflammation; too much Vit D without K2 can increase heart disease risk. A therapeutic dose ranges from 1,000-3,000 IU daily, which should be determined by your specific levels.
Vitamin K2 (M-7): K2 helps prevent unhealthy calcification of blood vessels, plaques, and together with D3 helps to lower inflammation.
At Six Branches, we are here to support you on all steps of your hormonal journey. Acupuncture can be very helpful at improving circulation, reducing systemic inflammation, and helping your body to better manage stress levels. Acupuncture has a synergistic effect with the other recommendations discussed here and serves as a wonderful complement to supporting heart health amidst hormonal changes.