A new explanation for the rise in heart disease risk after menopause

Virginia Tech scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute say the increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause may stem not only from declining hormone levels, but also from how those changes influence gene activity. In a new paper published in the journal Cells, researchers examine growing evidence that declining estrogen levels can alter epigenetics, the system that controls when genes turn on and off. These changes may help explain why rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions rise sharply in women after menopause.