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Menopause is defined as the changes a woman goes through just before and after she stops her periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.
Scientists say the risk of the disease is greatest for women who experience night sweats and other symptoms for at least a decade.
Fluctuating hormone levels are thought to be to blame, with changing amounts of oestrogen during the menopause being associated with hot flushes. Oestrogen exposure is also linked to a greater breast-cancer risk, with the risk of developing the disease falling post-menopause when less of the hormone is produced. The peaks and troughs of oestrogen exposure during the menopause may trigger the disease years later, scientists claim.
It is caused by change in the balance of the body’s sex hormones, which occurs as she ages. It usually takes place between 45 and 55 years old, with 51 being the average age in the US and the UK. Common symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, insomnia, low libido, poor memory and low mood.
The research was published in Menopause – the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
The researchers analysed 25,499 post-menopausal women aged between 50 and 79 who took part in the Women’s Health Initiative study. None of the participants had ever used hormonal therapy to control their symptoms.
Of the participants, 9,715 claimed they experienced symptoms like hot flushes or night sweats for at least a decade.
All of the women were then followed for an average of 17.9 years, during which time 1,399 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed.
The researchers found those who suffered from persistent menopausal symptoms were more likely to develop the disease than the 15,784 who never experienced hot flushes or night sweats.
‘Other risk factors included an elevated body mass index of more than 30 and current alcohol use,’ Dr Pinkerton added.
Persistent menopause symptoms were found to have no effect on breast cancer survival. Dr Pinkerton adds more research is required to determine the link between symptoms and a woman’s cancer – and cardiovascular disease – risk.
Post-menopausal women are more at risk of heart disease due to oestrogen having a protective effect on the organ and the blood vessels, according to the British Heart Foundation.