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Coronary heart disease in relation to age, sex, and the menopause
British Medical Journal
|February 25, 1978
Insights
Women maintain protection against coronary heart disease (CHD) post-menopause. Men
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Endocrinology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk differs between sexes.
- Women appear protected from CHD even after menopause.
- Men's risk increases around age 50.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in CHD risk.
- To explore the role of hormonal factors in CHD aetiology.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Registrar General's mortality data.
- Comparative analysis of CHD incidence in men and women.
Main Results:
- Women's protection against CHD persists after menopause.
- Men experience a decline in a protective factor around age 50.
- This decline coincides with increased CHD risk in men compared to women.
Conclusions:
- Post-menopausal women retain CHD protection.
- Male sex hormones may contribute to CHD risk.
- Further research is required to understand the role of male hormones in male CHD aetiology.
Abstract:
Examination of the Registrar General's mortality data suggested that women do not lose protection from coronary heart disease (CHD) after the menopause. Apparently, at around the age of 50 men begin to lose a factor that had previously put them at increased risk of developing CHD compared with women. Male sex hormones may be risk factors for CHD, and further studies are needed to clarify their role in the aetiology of CHD in men.