The interaction between lifestyle and menopausal ageing and their impact in cardiovascular disease in women

Menopause marks the age at which woman’s heart disease risk starts to increase significantly. Compared with age-matched men, premenopausal women have a lower risk of CVD, which gradually increases after menopause so that women in their sixties have the same incidence of CVD as men. Indeed, recently It was showed that women experiencing early onset of menopause are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), CVD, all-cause mortality and shorter life expectancy. To date, most of studies are unable to assess directionality of the association between early menopause onset and cardiometabolic risk. Although increased risk of CVD/T2D has been proposed as consequence of menopause, the alternative hypothesis, that fluctuations of cardiovascular risk factors in premenopausal women may promote early menopause (or both), can also be true. Furthermore, genetic studies of premature ovarian failure suggest distinct pathways beyond hormones as potential explanation for increased risk of CVD associated with menopause. Therefore, we will study share risk factors, including genetic, lifestyle, and environmental, for both early menopause and elevated CVD risk warrants consideration Gene-lifestyle interactions, which provide a unique environment for variability in menopause onset in women, may explain the large amount of variation in menopausal onset in different populations.

Keywords: Menopause, Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Genetics

Short Biography

In her doctoral thesis, she will focus on the evaluation of the genetic and lifestyle factors related to early onset of menopause, important to understand the epidemiology and pathophysiology of menopause and develop personalized interventions. As a master in epidemiology, she has designed and implemented studies related to cardiovascular health, nursing research, validation of diagnoses and clinical scales. She also has experience teaching quantitative methods of research. As a nurse, she has worked in programs of health promotion with school teachers, marginalized communities in Colombia, with a special emphasis on sexual and reproductive rights and gender equity.

Zayne Milena Roa Díaz
Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)
University of Bern

Personal Website
zayne.roadiaz@ispm.unibe.ch

Supervisor: Oscar Franco