With menopause and the fall in oestrogen, total and “bad” LDL cholesterol rise while “good” HDL falls. Fluid retention and blood pressure increase, as does total body fat — particularly abdominal fat, which is linked to cardiovascular disease.
Carbohydrate metabolism is also disturbed, with increased insulin resistance and poor glucose tolerance — conditions that predispose to metabolic syndrome. Finally, blood coagulability rises, raising the risk of embolism.
A study from Brown University of 153,569 post-menopausal women aged 50–79, followed for a mean of 10.5 years, found that higher magnesium intake was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death.