Premature Menopause Linked to Hypertension Risk

A large cohort study published in the journal Menopause analyzed data from 107,836 postmenopausal women in the UK Biobank and found that women who experienced menopause before age 40 had a significantly higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who reached menopause after age 45. The risk peaked among women who reached menopause between ages 25 and 35. After adjusting for over 50 variables, premature menopause was associated with a 12.3% increased risk of hypertension. The study recommends that clinicians consider age at menopause as a distinct cardiovascular risk factor and screen earlier for hypertension in this population. Canadian Menopause Society, whose medical director Dr. Stephanie Faubion commented on the findings, published the study. The research was led by Dr. Vicente Arrarte of Dr. Balmis University Hospital of Alicante in Spain.