Pre-menopausal women are at a greater risk for heart disease. Doctors have commonly believed that heart disease risk increases in the beginning of menopause, but new research shows that may not be the case. “In the latest research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers say that risk for heart disease actually starts to peak in the years before menopause, and the risk is especially great for African-American women. Among African American women, these risk factors steadily increased in the years prior to menopause at a greater rate than for white women, suggesting that African-American women may be more vulnerable to the changes occurring prior to menopause.” If you are concerned about your heart disease risk, consult your doctor and follow heart-healthy lifestyle tips like managing and monitoring your weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Extra weight may cause your brain to age faster than normal. A new study compared the decline of white matter in the brain between people who were lean and participants who were overweight. “Those in the overweight group had much less white matter than their thinner counterparts. The difference was only evident from middle-age onwards, suggesting that our brains may be particularly vulnerable during this period of ageing. However there was no difference in how the groups fared in tests of knowledge and understanding, so the researchers say more work is needed to follow people and see who develops conditions such as dementia.” While more research needs to be done, it is unclear whether or not this brain aging can be reduced if people lose weight.

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