Menstrual Cycles & the Impact on a Woman's Cardiovascular Testing

Cardiovascular complications are a leading cause for health concern among women in the United States. For many women, annual physical examinations provide an opportunity to screen for a variety of health complications, including risks associated with cardiovascular disease.

When preparing for your next annual physical examination, however, it may be important to consider the timing in which the examination is scheduled. For some women, estrogen may play a key factor in the measurement of blood pressure and various other cardiovascular conditions, resulting in a false-positive or false-negative finding during the annual exam. In other words, your menstrual cycle may play a role in determining what your doctor finds at your next health check-up.

For many women, the biological changes in the body are profoundly impacted by the levels of progesterone and estrogen in the body. Of these, estrogen plays a key factor in cardiovascular function.

For women with normal menstrual cycles, during the luteal phase a woman's estrogen, progesterone, LSH and FSH hormone levels are significantly increased. During this period, a woman's cardiac function, when healthy, tends to be vastly improved from that of a woman who may be menstruating. In addition to improved cardiac function, during the luteal phase, women realize a greater sense of well being in terms of gastrointestinal health, kidney function, immune system response and even seem to experience improved outcomes with metabolism, dieting and exercise.

During menstruation, however, the progesterone, estrogen and various other hormone levels decrease. During this decrease in hormone levels, the cardiovascular system, digestive system, metabolism, kidneys and even the immune system are not functioning at levels considered to be "normal" when compared to that of the luteal phase. If you ask any woman, she can tell you there is a significant change in how she feels during this second half of the menstrual cycle.

When scheduling your office visit for your next annual health examination, you may find your appointment scheduler is not concerned about the date of your last menstrual period nor even asks where in your cycle you may be when the visit takes place. For this reason, as a woman, it is important to know what impact your menstrual cycle, and estrogen levels, may have upon the laboratory findings by your physician.

To avoid unnecessary repeat laboratory tests and repeat diagnostic studies, many healthcare professionals, today, recommend that women obtain examination during the first two weeks after their menstrual cycle. During this luteal phase, a woman can be assured of a more accurate finding, especially when addressing myocardial function and pre-disposition to cardiovascular disease.