Estrogen is responsible for the development of female characteristics. It also carries messages throughout the body that control various systems, including reproduction, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles and the brain.
Progesterone, the second most crucial hormone in the female body, also plays a role in many bodily processes, including ovulation, the thickening of the uterine lining for implantation, menstruation, supporting pregnancy, improving mood, supporting thyroid function, and supporting lactation.
Together, these hormones are the MVPs of the physiological health of the female body, and when menopause hits, they retire from the game. When they’re no longer able to support the team, certain areas are left vulnerable, leading to the increased risk of various chronic diseases.
Chronic disease risk after menopause
Since vital hormones begin to drop during menopause—those that play a role in many bodily functions—all they are tasked to support are left in a lurch. The loss of regular estrogen levels, especially, is thought to increase the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis, to name a few.
Research continues to search for connections between chronic disease and hormonal levels, with some uncertainty still plaguing medical scientists. What is known is that when the
, insulin resistance, fat mass, dyslipidemia, and endothelial dysfunction can occur. These are all markers of cardiometabolic health and drive worsened health outcomes in the 10 to 15 years following the onset of menopause.