Heart disease danger for women after menopause

WOMEN'S risk of heart disease catches up to that of men when they lose the protective effects of oestrogen after the menopause, research shows.

- Hanna Geissler

Men are more likely to be affected at a younger age by cardiovascular disease. But analysis of 579 women found they experienced accelerated plaque build-up compared with males after menopause, which researchers linked to hormone changes.

Dr Ella Ishaaya, an internal medicine physician at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in California, said: "After menopause, women have much less oestrogen and shift to a more testosterone-heavy profile.

"This affects the way your body stores fat, where it stores fat and the way it processes fat.