Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women around the world.
Many women notice that their risk of heart problems increases after menopause, but the reasons are not always clear.
For a long time, scientists believed that the main cause was the drop in estrogen, a hormone that plays an important role in the female body.
However, new research suggests that the story is more complex.
A new study from Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, published in the journal Cells, shows that the effects of menopause may go deeper than just hormone levels.
The researchers found that falling estrogen levels may also change how genes work inside the body. These changes could help explain why heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions become more common after menopause.
To understand this, it helps to know what genes do. Genes are like instructions inside our cells. They tell the body how to grow, repair, and function. However, not all genes are active all the time. The body uses a system to turn genes on or off when needed. This system is called epigenetics.
Epigenetics does not change the genes themselves, but it controls how they are used. It acts like switches and dimmers that adjust gene activity. The full set of these controls is known as the epigenome. Scientists have studied this system for many years, especially in diseases like cancer, but less attention has been given to how it works in the heart.
The new study suggests that when estrogen levels fall during menopause, this can affect the epigenome. In other words, it may change how genes are turned on and off in the heart and blood vessels. These changes may lead to problems with metabolism, inflammation, and blood flow, all of which are linked to heart disease.
The lead researcher, Dr. Sumita Mishra, explained that scientists used to focus mainly on the loss of estrogen itself. Now, they are beginning to see that estrogen also affects how genes are controlled. This means menopause may trigger long-lasting changes in the body that go beyond simple hormone loss.
The study also points out that other factors play a role. A person’s genes, lifestyle, and environment can all interact with these changes. Diet, exercise, and existing health conditions like obesity or diabetes may influence how the body responds after menopause.
This new way of thinking could help improve treatment. Instead of only focusing on replacing hormones, doctors may also look at how to support healthy gene activity. Some existing treatments may already be helping in this way without people realizing it.
For example, medicines that lower cholesterol or blood sugar may also affect how genes behave. Lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and regular exercise may also influence gene activity and reduce harmful processes in the body.
However, the researchers also highlight that much of the current evidence comes from laboratory studies. More research in humans is needed to fully understand how these changes happen over time and how they affect real patients.
The team is now studying how these gene-related changes are linked to specific heart conditions, such as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This type of heart disease is more common in women after menopause and is closely linked to metabolic health.
Overall, this study offers a new way to understand why heart disease risk increases after menopause. It suggests that the body’s internal control system for genes may play a key role, influenced by the loss of estrogen.
In conclusion, the findings provide an important new perspective on women’s health after menopause.
They show that the increased risk of heart disease is not caused by hormones alone but also by deeper biological changes. While more research is needed, this approach may lead to better and more targeted treatments in the future.
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