Early menopause tied to heart risk and early death

By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Women who enter menopause before age 45 are more likely to have cardiovascular problems and to die younger than women who enter menopause later in life, according to a new analysis. The findings suggest that age at menopause may help predict women's risk for future health problems, said lead author Dr. Taulant Muka, of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. "Women with early onset of menopause may be a group to target for proactive cardiovascular prevention strategies," Muka told Reuters Health in an email.