The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA) yesterday said heart disease has become the second-leading cause of death for women, so menopausal and post-menopausal women should avoid gaining visceral, or intra-abdominal, fat.
According to ministry data, a total of 7,915 women died of heart disease (excluding hypertensive heart disease) last year, followed by 4,963 deaths caused by diabetes (the third-leading cause), 4,755 deaths caused by cerebral vascular disease (No. 4) and 2,634 deaths caused by hypertensive heart disease (No. 6).
The data also showed that for post-menopausal women, the death rates from heart disease, diabetes and hypertensive heart disease increase rapidly with aging — on average doubling every five years.
Based on the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (2013-2014), which recorded the waistline measurements of 765 women over 40, 57.8 percent had a waistline of more than 80cm, the administration said, adding that a large waistline can be an early predictor of cardiovascular disease because it reflects visceral fat accumulation.
HPA Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) said women who have been through menopause might have a bigger waistline because they gained weight, but even if they did not gain weight, changes in hormone levels can also influence their body fat distribution, causing abdominal obesity.
Data from last year showed that for women over 55 with a waistline measuring more than 80cm, the prevalence rates of the “three highs” were higher than those with smaller waistlines — 28.2 percent had high blood pressure, 20.1 percent had high blood lipids and 13.7 percent had high blood sugar, while 13.1 percent had two “highs” and 2.4 percent had three “highs.”
The administration said menopausal and post-menopausal women should maintain a balanced diet with less sugar and salt, more nuts, brown rice, fruits and vegetables, and replace sugary beverages with water.
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