09/04/2026
“Why Menopause Puts Your Heart at Risk”
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States, not breast cancer. It kills more women than all cancers combined, and about 1 in 3 women will die from heart disease. And menopause is a big part of why.
Before menopause, estrogen actually helps protect your heart, it helps keep cholesterol in a healthier range, keeps your blood vessels flexible, and plays a role in how your body manages inflammation and blood pressure. But once estrogen declines through perimenopause and menopause, that protection fades quickly.
Bad cholesterol starts to rise, blood pressure often creeps up, and fat distribution shifts toward the abdomen. So a woman can be doing everything the same as she did in her 30s…same diet, same workouts…and still watch her numbers move, simply because the hormonal environment protecting her heart has changed.
This is exactly why perimenopause is such an important window to pay attention to your cardiac risk, not after something happens, but before.
In my next video, I’ll walk you through what’s actually changed in the guidelines, and what treatment really looks like.
At any point, if you want to learn more about your risks, go to www.TullyMD.com to make an appointment or call (201)241-2626.
