Your heart dictates so many aspects of your health—and your hormones often dictate the condition of your heart. Our Women’s Health Specialists team wants to highlight the link between these two aspects of your body.
What Do Heart Symptoms Look Like in Women?
There’s a distinctive difference between the symptoms of heart disease or heart attacks in women and men. Women often experience atypical heart attack symptoms, which can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Instead of standard chest pain, women may have:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Unusual fatigue
- Pain in the jaw, neck, back, or shoulders
- Dull chest pressure
Because symptoms can be so subtle, women should seek immediate medical attention for any unusual discomfort.
The Heart-Hormone Link
Your body’s hormones are a source of regulation for many aspects of your health—like heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Here are three main points of the connection between hormones and your heart.
- Estrogen Helps Protect the Heart: Blood vessels are more flexible thanks to estrogen, which can also improve circulation and regulate cholesterol levels by increasing HDL (“good” cholesterol) and lowering LDL (“bad” cholesterol). Before menopause, women have a lower risk of heart disease because of estrogen’s protective effects.
- Heart Disease Risk Increases After Menopause: When estrogen levels drop after menopause, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hardened arteries, which increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Regular checkups and a healthy lifestyle become even more important at this stage.
- Thyroid Hormones Affect Heart Function: The thyroid gland controls metabolism, and when it is out of balance, it can impact the heart. An overactive thyroid can cause a fast heart rate and high blood pressure, while an underactive thyroid can slow the heart rate and increase cholesterol levels.
Questions About Hormones and Your Heart
You can feel free to ask your provider at Women’s Health Specialists any specific questions you may have about your hormones’ effect on your heart—and everyone will have different ones based on their specific health conditions and history. Here are a few of the most prevalent questions posed by patients.
Q: Does pregnancy affect the heart?
Yes, pregnancy puts quite a lot of strain on the heart. Blood volume increases by 30-50%, and the heart works harder to pump blood. Conditions like gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease later in life.
Q: How do menstrual cycles impact the heart?
Hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle can cause temporary changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and fluid retention. Some women experience palpitations, dizziness, or migraines related to hormonal shifts, particularly in the luteal phase (following ovulation).
Q: Does stress and anxiety affect women’s heart health?
Yes, chronic stress increases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which can raise blood pressure, contribute to inflammation, and ultimately increase the risk of heart disease.
Q: Can hormone imbalances cause heart palpitations?
Fluctuations in your estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones can all trigger heart palpitations, especially during menopause or pregnancy. While often harmless, frequent palpitations should be evaluated by a professional.
Q: Do birth control pills affect heart health?
Some hormonal birth control methods (especially those containing estrogen) can slightly increase the risk of high blood pressure, blood clots, and stroke, particularly in women who smoke, are over 35, or have high blood pressure. Progestin-only methods have less cardiovascular impact but should still be used with medical guidance.
Q: Can hormone replacement therapy (HRT) protect the heart?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help relieve menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and bone loss, but its role in heart health is more complex. Some studies suggest early HRT use may offer cardiovascular benefits, while others indicate increased risks of blood clots and stroke in certain women. This is why it’s wise to discuss HRT with your OBYGN based on your individual health history.
Staying Up to Date
- Be sure to schedule regular check-ups to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. Women’s Health Specialists offers many of these tests and treatments and more in-house.
- If you have a family history of heart disease, talk to your doctor about additional screenings.
- Annual hormone level assessments can help you track changes that may affect heart health.
A Heart Healthy Lifestyle
If you suspect you’ve been having any issues with your heart, regardless of your age or condition, it’s important to communicate openly about your concerns. Your doctor might run additional tests or refer you to a specialist to rule out any dangerous results. Your heart is a compass of your body’s health—and our Germantown office is here to help you keep it strong.