Cardiovascular Implications of the Menopause Transition: Endogenous Sex Hormones and Vasomotor Symptoms

Abstract

The menopause transition (MT) is a critical period of women's lives marked by several physiologic changes and menopause-related symptoms that have implications for health. Risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in women, increases after menopause, suggesting a contribution of the MT to its development. This article focuses on the relationship between 2 main features of the MT and women's cardiovascular health: (1) dynamic alterations of sex hormones, particularly endogenous estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone, and (2) vasomotor symptoms, the cardinal symptom of the menopause. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Keywords: Estradiol; Follicle-stimulating hormone; Hot flashes; Menopause; Subclinical atherosclerosis; Vasomotor symptoms.