'No link' between menopause and heart death

There is no link between menopause and an increased risk of fatal heart conditions, research has shown.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University said that the increasing number of deaths as women age is due to aging alone, rather than the hormonal impact of the menopause.

A new study, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that instead of cardiovascular death spiking immediately after menopause, heart disease mortality rates progress at a constant rate as they age.

Assistant professor of medicine Dhananjay Vaidya said: "Our data show there is no big shift toward higher fatal heart attack rates after menopause.

 "What we believe is going on is that the cells of the heart and arteries are aging like every other tissue in the body, and that is why we see more and more heart attacks every year as women age."

Meanwhile, research published on bmj.com revealed that high levels of chocolate consumption could cut the rate of heart disease.

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