Women who experience early menopause or who do not take hormone replacement therapy may be at increased risk of stroke, a study has found.
Those with a longer reproductive life and who used contraceptives or HRT had fewer strokes in their mid-60s.
Experts said the results suggest that those entering menopause early should have more frequent blood pressure and cholesterol tests.
The researchers used data from nearly 123,000 postmenopausal women with an average age of 58 years.
They were asked about their lifestyle, reproductive health information, number of pregnancies and use of oral contraceptives.
Those with a longer reproductive life and who used contraception or HRT had fewer strokes in their mid-60s
The researchers then used data from health insurance companies and health registries to determine that 15,139 participants had a stroke over the next ten years.
They were then divided into groups determined by their reproductive life – the number of years from the first menstrual period to menopause.
It ranged from 31 years to 36 years. When the researchers accounted for other factors that can affect stroke risk, such as age, smoking, physical activity and high blood pressure, they found that participants in the tallest group had a 5 percent reduced risk of all types of stroke.
That rose to 13 percent for intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) compared with the shortest group, according to results published in the journal Neurology.
The Chinese researchers also looked at other factors that affect estrogen levels, such as the number of births and the use of oral contraceptives.
They found that higher estrogen levels led to a lower risk of all types of stroke.
Lead author Peige Song, from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, said: “These results may help generate new ideas for stroke prevention, such as:
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
