An abundance of fatty tissue, by fueling persistent inflammation, has been shown to significantly elevate the likelihood of premature mortality in postmenopausal women, according to research published in the journal Menopause.
Scientists examined health data pertaining to upwards of 7,800 women who were past menopause. This phase commences twelve months succeeding a woman’s final menstrual period, which is when the ovaries cease manufacturing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
The investigators evaluated the participants’ overall cardiovascular wellness using the Life’s Essential 8 and Life’s Crucial 9 metrics. These assessment tools incorporate indicators related to lifestyle and physical condition, such as diet, exercise levels, sleep quality, cholesterol concentration, blood pressure, and the presence of negative habits.
The analysis revealed that women scoring lower on these established scales also demonstrated a heightened risk of death, encompassing both all-cause mortality and fatalities resulting specifically from cardiovascular disorders. Further investigations corroborated that this correlation is, to some extent, attributable to both the total amount of body fat and the characteristics of systemic inflammation within the body.
Following menopause, fat often relocates, typically accumulating around the midsection. This specific type of fat is referred to as visceral fat.
Unlike subcutaneous (white) fat, visceral fat possesses the capacity to produce bioactive compounds like cytokines, adipokines, and hormone-like substances. Consequently, it begins to function akin to an endocrine organ, capable of inciting chronic inflammatory states and escalating the degree of cardiometabolic risks, notably including heart and blood vessel diseases.
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