Menopause Heart Danger

OLDER women with low levels of the male hormone testosterone are at greater risk of heart disease, claim researchers.

A study now shows those with a testosterone ‘deficiency’ after the menopause are more likely to have blocked arteries.

Testosterone is made in small amounts by the ovaries. Levels naturally decline after the menopause, but can fall dramatically in women when the womb and ovaries are removed surgically.

A team at Belgium’s Free University of Brussels examined 56 postmenopausal women who had atherosclerosis or ‘furring up’ of the carotid artery, which supplies blood to the head and neck. Levels of testosterone in these women were compared with 56 females of similar age and background.

Women with atherosclerosis had significantly lower testosterone reserves, yet there was no difference between levels of other sex hormones.

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