As a woman, you’re probably aware of the role your hormones play in your period, pregnancy, menopause and your overall health. But you may not realize that they factor into your heart health, too.
Your hormones act as your body’s messengers and they play an important role in keeping your heart functioning well. They influence your heart health in different ways.
How hormones impact your heart health
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in women worldwide. Hormones play a role in your heart health because they influence the way your heart and blood function.
“The key hormones involved — estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and others like cortisol and thyroid hormones — affect the heart and blood vessels across a woman’s lifespan, from puberty to pregnancy to menopause and beyond,” said Aye Thandar Win, MD, a cardiologist with Banner Health who specializes in caring for women.
Women need to pay extra attention to how hormones might affect their heart in three key situations.
1. Birth control and your heart
Hormonal birth control methods that contain estrogen (like pills, patches or injections) could raise your risk of blood clots, especially if you smoke, are over 35 or have other heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Before you start hormonal contraception, talk about your risks with your health care provider. If you’re at higher risk of cardiovascular problems, progestin-only methods like mini-pills or IUDs may be safer options.
2. Pregnancy complications that could affect your heart
During pregnancy, your body changes dramatically to help your baby grow. You create more blood and your heart works harder to pump that extra blood. “Hormones push the heart more and blood vessels become more relaxed, causing blood pressure to drop,” Dr. Win said.
These changes are normal but they can also strain your heart and lead to conditions like:
- Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia: High blood pressure during pregnancy may increase your long-term risk of heart disease.
- Blood clots: Your body naturally boosts blood clotting factors during pregnancy, which may sometimes lead to complications like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism.
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy: With this rare condition, the heart gets weaker during or just after pregnancy, so it’s harder for it to pump blood effectively.
If you have any of these pregnancy complications, work with your health care provider and take steps to keep your heart healthy in the future.
3. Menopause and heart disease risk
As you reach menopause, your estrogen levels drop and this can have a big impact on your heart.
Estrogen helps protect your heart and blood vessels. It regulates cholesterol and blood pressure and keeps your arteries flexible. “When menopause occurs and estrogen is no longer present, your cardiovascular risk starts to rise. Risk peaks 10 years post-menopause. Proactive screening and a healthy lifestyle are your shields,” Dr. Win said.
Without estrogen, you might notice:
- Higher cholesterol levels: Your LDL ("bad" cholesterol) can rise, while your HDL ("good" cholesterol) may drop.
- Increased blood pressure: Menopause-related hormonal changes can lead to higher blood pressure.
- Artery changes: Your arteries may become less flexible, which can increase plaque buildup and the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Your health care provider might discuss options like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage symptoms and reduce cardiovascular risks.
If you notice symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath, don’t wait. Get medical care right away.
How to protect your heart at every age and stage
You can support your heart health with lifestyle choices, awareness and strategies tailored to you. “Many heart disease risk factors are avoidable. These include smoking, poor diet, stress and lack of regular exercise,” Dr. Win said.
Here are some tips to protect your heart:
- Get regular heart health checkups: Keeping an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels can help spot early signs of heart disease.
- Eat heart-healthy foods: Choose plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and cut back on processed foods and sugars.
- Stay active: Exercise boosts your heart’s strength, reduces blood pressure and helps with weight management.
- Manage stress and sleep: Chronic stress and poor sleep can take a toll on your heart. Find time for stress-relief practices like yoga or mindfulness and aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
A healthy lifestyle can make a big difference. “Almost all cardiologists agree that close to 80% of heart disease is avoidable, since it is mostly due to poor lifestyle choices. Heart artery blockages can start as early as age 10. Lifestyle choices from then on cause artery plaque to build slowly. So investing in a healthy lifestyle early on is like growing a 401k investment — the dividends will be there in the long run,” Dr. Win said.
The bottom line
Your hormones are closely connected to your heart health, especially during key life stages such as choosing to use birth control, pregnancy and menopause. By learning how these changes influence your heart, you can take steps to protect it.
Regular checkups and healthy lifestyle choices are key to reducing your risk of heart disease. To learn more about how hormones may affect your heart and how to keep it healthy, talk to your health care provider or an expert at Banner Health.
