Heart Disease and Hormone Imbalance
With the changing global landscape of diet and nutrition, people of all ages are at a greater risk of heart disease earlier in life. It is the number one cause of death in men and women ages 65 and older in the United States, as well as a leading factor in deteriorating health.
Strokes can be disabling when not lethal. Poorly pumped blood leads to decreased oxygen to tissues throughout the body, causes low energy, and reduces endurance. Compromised heart health can also impact sexual health and put an end to many activities, travel, and experiences in our lives that bring us joy.
When we investigate the relationship between heart health and hormones, we very quickly see that many of the solutions presented do not address the root cause. In fact, while we know many heart health supplements are important and can have benefits, they don’t explain how decline and imbalance in hormone production impact cardiovascular health.
When women reach menopause, they don’t stop eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids or resveratrol, garlic, or many of the other compounds we know support heart health. They also don’t stop exercising, change their environment, or experience marked changes in stress levels. So what does change? What causes an increase in cholesterol, blood pressure, increased body weight, and so much more?
It is the decline in the function of our glands like the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenals, thyroid, and ovaries that affect hormone production and metabolism. Many aspects of cardiovascular health and metabolism are directly affected by different hormones: Estradiol, an estrogen hormone produced by the ovaries, breasts, and adrenal glands, helps maintain the elasticity of arteries and blood vessels.1 Estradiol also activates the gene responsible for the activity of high density lipoproteins (HDL)2, which help transport cholesterol from the blood to the liver and other organs. It reduces low density lipoproteins (LDL) and may also act as an antioxidant.3,4 High levels of LDL are thought to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Estradiol acts as an insulin sensitizer, as well. As cells become less sensitive to insulin, blood glucose rises and increases diabetes and heart disease risk.
Additionally, the hormone progesterone can protect your arteries from spasms.5 Hormonal imbalance is the root cause of all of the symptoms experienced during peri- and post-menopause and can also be a major factor in heart health. Because menopausal supplement science is advancing, there is now research on supplements that are focused on balancing hormones rather than just alleviating the symptoms of imbalance. New research on specific types of maca focused on women, and the hypothalamus has demonstrated statistically significant effects on hormones in peri- and post-menopausal women in published clinical trials for the first time.6
Kim Ross is the Medical Education Manager for Natural Health International (NHI). She is also a women’s nutrition counselor, as well as a Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner through the Institute for Functional Medicine. For more information, visit her website at FunctionalMedicineByKimRoss.com.
References
1 Guo X, Razandi M, Pedram A, Kassab G, Levin ER. J Biol Chem. 2005 May 20;280(20):19704-10.
2 Lopez D, Sanchez MD, Shea-Eaton W, McLean MP. Endocrinology. 2002 Jun;143(6):2155-68.
3 LaRosa JC. Metabolic effects of estrogens and progestins. Fertil Steril. 1994; 62(6, suppl 2):140S-6S.
4 Sugioka K, Shimosegawa Y, Nakano M. FEBS Lett. 1987; 210:37-9.
5 Miyagawa K, Rosch J, Stanczyk F, & Hermsmeyer K. Nature Medicine 1997; 3: 324-327.
6 Meissner HO, Mscisz A, Reich-Bilinska H, et al. Int J Biomed Sci. 2006 Dec;2(4):375-94.






