Researchers
discovered that a healthy lifestyle and exercise routine could be
the key to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease among menopausal
women.
The strong relationship between healthy eating and good cardiovascular
health could be seen in the slowing of plaque buildup among menopausal
women who participated in the diet and exercise control group of
a study.
The study consisted of 353 women between the ages of 44 and 50
years. Over a four-year period ultrasounds were used to measure
the thickness of their carotid artery walls. The participants were
divided into two groups, a lifestyle intervention group and an assessment-only
"control" group.
Results of the Study
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The women in the control group exhibited an accelerated thickening
of the arteries, which increased from 0.003 millimeters per
year before they reached menopause and shot up to 0.008 mm during
and after menopause
-
The thickening of the arteries of the women in the lifestyle
intervention group were reduced to 0.004 mm per year
-
The women in the intervention group also didn't experience
any rise in their LDL cholesterol levels over a 4.5-year period
Based on the results of these studies, experts concluded that menopause
represents a unique opportunity for women to work at reducing their
risks of cardiovascular conditions.
Yahoo
News August 10, 2004