Cardiovascular risk in women not associated with menopause

As women grow older, they are more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. For years, experts associated these cardiovascular risks with the hormonal changes that occur around menopause. However, new research suggests that age - not hormone changes - may be the real reason behind this association.

For the study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University analyzed medical records from individuals going back to 1916. They found no evidence connecting the time a woman entered menopause and her risk of developing heart disease.

Given the fact that age in and of itself is known to increase a person’s risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke, the team concluded that this factor alone is sufficient to explain the higher rate of cardiovascular events among older women.

Still, the findings do not mean that seniors are off the hook. Women who are over the age of 60 and have other risk factors for a heart attack or stroke - such as high cholesterol or blood pressure - may want to talk to their doctors about a prescription to buy Plavix.