Ask Dr. Marie

Did you ever notice that only the so-called “bad” news about menopause and hormones seems to get our attention? Yet almost daily I am reading about new research and information about the benefits of hormones – so I thought I would share with you some of the good news for a change. (Although I am not recommending estrogen to prevent heart disease in women, estrogen is used to treat the distressing symptoms of menopause and is often the only thing that really works!!)

A new study from the University of Texas this week finds that your body shape – whether you are apple-shaped or pear-shaped – is the BEST predictor of your risk for future heart disease!!! And that applies to both MEN AND WOMEN. In fact, even normal weight people who had apple-shapes (larger waist size relative to their butt, hips or thighs) had higher calcium scores or early plaque on special heart scans that warned of early hardening of the arteries. Another recent study last year found that our body shape or waist-to-hip ratio (commonly called WHR) was THREE TIMES MORE POWERFUL A PREDICTOR OF A HEART ATTACK than BMI or our weight overall. That study also warned doctors that even their normal weight patients may have high heart risk (and so taking out the tape measure and sizing up the shape of our patients was important).