Early menopause occurs before age 46 and it's a problem because it can more than double the risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problem. Surprisingly, hormone replacement therapy does not appear to help. Doctors had been prescribing hormone replacement to prevent heart disease, which is the number one killer disease of women in the U.S.

The average age for menopause is 51, and a study started in 2000 involved more than 2,500 women between 45 and 84 to learn more about early menopause. Almost 28 percent of the women in the study reported early menopause; 18 percent had natural menopause and 10 percent went into menopause when their ovaries were removed.

Before age 55, no woman in the study had angina (chest pain), a heart attack or stroke, heart bypass surgery or a suddenly stopped heart. After 55, women who had early menopause were more likely to have had at least one of these problems than women who did not experience early menopause. Even when researchers controlled for extra weight gain, early menopause was an indicator of more than doubled risk for these heart problems.

The researchers found that almost 6 percent of the women who went though menopause early suffered a problem with their heart. In comparison, just 2.6 percent of women who had not gone through menopause or who did not go through menopause until after age 47 had similar problems.

How Can You Reduce Your Risk of Cardiovascular Trouble?

Does this study mean there's no help in sight? No, there are other ways to improve the modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol with a healthy diet and exercise. Health insurance in Texas is important for women in this situation because is allows them to confer with doctors to identify risk factors that they can improve.

As recently as 2002, there was wide spread use of hormone replacement therapy in attempts to lower the risk of heart disease or osteoporosis. These problems are known to spike following menopause. More recently, hormone replacement therapy has been found to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as strokes and other problems. Now research indicates that hormone replacement therapy does not protect against heart disease either.

It's quick and painless to have your blood pressure measured. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg (systolic) over less than 80 mm Hg (diastolic). Systolic refers to when your heart is pumping and diastolic is when it's resting between beats.

An electrocardiogram of ECG is basically an ultrasound examination that detects the heart's electrical activity to help identify any damage, such as that caused by heart attack, thickening of the heart muscle or wall as well as complications from high blood pressure. An ECG is much more specific than plain chest x-rays.

When choosing your Texas health insurance plan, check whether the doctors and hospitals you prefer are within their network of providers. That typically lowers your costs so you'll visit your doctor more often for checkups and preventive care. If you do find you have increased risk of heart problems, work out the changes you need to make with your doctor to bring those risks in line. Then keep a close watch on how your work is paying off with frequent doctor visits.