These 4 habits in middle age have the ‘greatest impact’ on your heart health: study

Menopause may end a woman’s monthly cycle, but it can also trigger a slew of unpleasant health risks, from sleep disorders and depression to metabolic syndrome, inflammation and heart disease.

“In the late 40s, around the time of the menopause transition, women undergo many significant changes in their cardiovascular health,” Samar R. El Khoudary, professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, told Medical News Today.

“There’s an increase in visceral fat, which we know has implications for heart health. There is an increase in risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of three out of five factors including waist circumference, glucose, triglycerides, HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and blood pressure.

“There’s a change in vascular health, with increasing thickness and stiffness in the carotid artery. And with the symptoms of menopause, sleep can suffer, as well.”

Worse yet, El Khoudary and her team recently learned only one in five menopausal women have ideal scores on the American Heart Association’s health-assessment tool Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) — and four of the factors can have a huge impact on heart health.

The LE8 tracks eight key health metrics: physical activity, cholesterol, diet, sleep, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and tobacco use.

Researchers analyzed the health data of about 3,000 women to find that four of these factors — sleep, blood pressure, blood glucose and smoking — are the heaviest hitters in predicting heart problems later down the road.

“This finding is important because it highlights key areas … that may have the greatest impact on future heart health for women,” El Khoudary said.

“However, our study did not test whether targeting these specifically leads to better outcomes than focusing on other factors. This is an important question for future clinical trials to explore.”

Unfortunately, these findings indicate that women, especially those in the menopause stage, need to adopt healthier habits in order to keep their ticker happy — although of course that’s easier said than done.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, according to Northwell Health cardiologist and American Heart Association volunteer medical expert Dr. Stacey Rosen, who is based in New York.

Nearly 45% of women over 20 years old are actually living with some form of CVD, Rosen told Fox News Digital.

And some of the classic symptoms — such as pain radiating down from the left arm — might not necessarily occur in women, who might instead experience extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and indigestion.

Jaw, neck and back pain are also symptoms that are easy to dismiss.

The good news is that the majority of CVD is preventable through lifestyle changes, heightened awareness and education, Rosen said — which means that “your heart health is in your hands.”

“Know your numbers — cholesterol, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar — as all are important risk factors that can be modified,” she said.

Additionally, experts recommend eating a diet that is high in fiber and antioxidants, shooting for getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and quitting smoking.