Menopause and autonomic control of heart

Menopause is associated with decreased heart rate variability, which is due to reduced parasympathetic or increased sympathetic outflow to the heart. Acute myocardial infarction may be accompanied by decreased heart rate variability. The causes of autonomic dysfunction in postmenopausal women may be multi-factorial i.e. , dyslipidemia, increased body fat percentage, aging and loss of female sex hormones. The cardiac vagotonic and sympatholytic effects of estrogen can explain, at least in part, why premenopausal women compared with postmenopausal women have a lower coronary heart disease incidence and mortality rate.