Assessment of duration of menopause and risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women

Purpose: Menopause is a significant transitional phase in a woman's life, characterized by physiological and biochemical changes that may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between menopause duration, age at menopause, and cardiovascular risk using the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) system in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, menopausal women (n=135) who applied to Bahçeşehir Family Health Centre were included. Age at menopause and duration of menopause were recorded; age, smoking status, blood pressure, total cholesterol and laboratory results were retrospectively analyzed to calculate the 10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular events. Results: The mean age of participants was 57.92±5.95 years, and the mean menopause duration was 10.76±6.09 years. No statistically significant correlation was found between age at menopause and SCORE values. However, a significant positive correlation was observed between menopause duration and cardiovascular risk score, indicating that a longer duration of menopause is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Conclusion: This study shows that duration of menopause may be associated with cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women. This highlights the importance of early cardiovascular risk assessment and preventive strategies in health services. Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand the effects of menopause-related hormonal changes on cardiovascular health.