If you start taking [estradiol](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarybiomarker?id=46) within six years of menopause, the risk of developing and progressing atherosclerosis is significantly reduced, but starting estradiol therapy ten years after menopause no longer has similar benefits, says research presented at the American Heart Association's 2020 Scientific Session on Epidemiology and Prevention and Cardiometabolic Health. ## Why does the body need estradiol? Estradiol is a female sex hormone, a form of estrogen that is often prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms and prevent atherosclerosis. With the onset of menopause, its level in the body decreases dramatically. ## Evidence base Researchers analyzed the results of an early and late intervention study using estradiol that included 643 healthy postmenopausal women. The results showed that women who started hormone therapy earlier had less arterial wall thickening due to cholesterol compared to those who started hormone therapy later or received a placebo. "Atherosclerosis is a major cause of cardiovascular disease," says lead study author Roxanne Karim, M.D., associate professor of clinical preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "Our results show that the earlier a woman starts getting estradiol during menopause, the less cholesterol accumulates in her arteries." __Sources__: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/menopause-and-heart-disease