Post Menopause Research Paper

The Effects of Lifestyle Modification on Cholesterol Levels in Post-Menopausal Women
Jordan Weaver
South University

The Effects of Lifestyle Modification on Cholesterol Levels in Post-Menopausal Women
Introduction
Menopause is a time of great change in a woman’s life. The hormonal changes that occur during this time cause many changes in the body, with symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness being common (Schuiling & Likis, 2013). The changes of menopause may also effect organ systems outside of the reproductive system, including the cardiovascular system. The risk for heart disease rises for everyone as they age. For women, symptoms of heart disease often manifest after menopause. This
This risk for adverse cardiovascular changes with menopause offers an important opportunity for health promotion and education surrounding lifestyle management for nurse practitioners in primary care. Lifestyle changes allow patients to take control of their own health and with education and encouragement from the healthcare provider, they could potentially make great improvements in their cholesterol levels in this way. While many people may be at risk for cardiovascular disease for reasons that cannot be changed, such as age, ethnicity, and family history, there are many modifiable risk factors that should be addressed during every primary care visit, especially during the post-menopausal phase of life when the risks are significantly increased (Hobbs, 2004). This topic is relevant to family practice because it will discuss the ways in which patient education and lifestyle management strategies can improve cholesterol levels in post-menopausal
(2010) is a level IV cohort study that aims to evaluate whether a nutritional program is able to balance the metabolic effects of menopause in a large sample of perimenopausal women. The study evaluated 301 nondiabetic perimenopausal women before a nutritional program designed to improve cardiovascular disease risk and 262 nondiabetic perimenopausal women after the nutritional program. It was found that before the nutritional program, perimenopausal women had an increase in BMI, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-C, and LDL-C. After the nutritional program, the perimenopausal women experienced a decrease in triglyceride levels but the nutritional program was found to prevent increase in systolic blood pressure, BMI, cholesterolemia, and metabolic syndrome. This study was significantly relevant and useful to the research being promoted because it provided an example of how one lifestyle modification influenced the cholesterol levels as well as other cardiovascular disease risk factors in post-menopausal women (Cicero, Dormi, D’Addato, Gaddi, & Borghi,