Early Menopause Linked to Higher Heart Risk

Women who stop menstruating before age 40 appear to face a higher risk of heart trouble later. A long-running analysis of more than 10,000 women, published in JAMA Cardiology, finds that menopause before 40 is associated with about a 40% higher lifetime risk of coronary heart disease, reports STAT News. The link isn't fully understood, and the study cannot say whether premature menopause causes the risk or simply signals it, but cardiologists say it should be treated as a key piece of preventive-care history, alongside conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

"Pregnancy is often compared to a stress test, and you can think of menopause in a similar way, as a window into your cardiovascular risk," lead author Priya Freaney of Northwestern University tells the New York Times. She encouraged women to be proactive in telling their doctors if menopause starts early. The research also highlights a racial gap: among Black women in the study, 15.5% experienced premature menopause, compared with 4.8% of white women. The reason is not clearly understood, but earlier studies have suggested a mix of factors, including greater psychosocial stress among Black women, per the Times.