TOPLINE:

Menopause was independently associated with an elevated 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Even after comprehensive adjustment for age as well as lifestyle and metabolic factors, postmenopausal women remained at higher risk than premenopausal women, with the risk being most pronounced among those younger than 60 years.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analysed the data of 222,007 UK Biobank participants — women aged 40-69 years without prior cardiovascular disease who reported their menopausal status — to evaluate the association between menopause and the 10-year risk for ASCVD.
• Of these participants, 158,572 (71.4%) were postmenopausal and 63,435 (28.6%) were premenopausal.
• The estimated 10-year risk for ASCVD (expressed in percentage) was assessed using a pooled cohort equation score, with a score ≥ 7.5% being classified as high risk and < 7.5% being classified as low risk.

TAKEAWAY:

• Menopause was independently associated with a higher risk for ASCVD (beta coefficient, 0.56; P < .001).
• Menopausal women were 18% more likely to be classified at high risk for ASCVD than premenopausal women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.18; P = .035).
• The association between menopausal status and an increased likelihood of being at high risk for ASCVD was strongest among women aged 45-50 years (aOR, 10.07; P = .037), remained significant among those aged 50-55 years (aOR, 1.58; P = .004) and 55-60 years (aOR, 1.33; P = .046), and was not significant among women aged 60-65 years.

IN PRACTICE:

"Routine cardiovascular risk assessments should incorporate menopausal status, and prevention strategies should be tailored to this population, focusing on lipid management, blood pressure control, glucose regulation, and lifestyle modifications," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Alexandre Vallée, MD, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Foch hospital, Suresnes, France. It was published online on August 20, 2025, in Maturitas.

LIMITATIONS:

The cross-sectional design of the study prevented the ability to establish causal associations between menopause and the risk for ASCVD. As the study population included only middle-aged UK women, the findings may not be generalisable to other age groups or ethnic populations.

DISCLOSURES:

This study did not receive any funding from an external source. The authors declared having no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.