Perimenopause brings plenty of unexpected changes, from irregular periods and hot flashes to mood swings and trouble sleeping. One symptom that often catches women by surprise is heart palpitations, which are often linked to hormonal fluctuations.
However, our team at Premier Cardiology Consultants in New York does not want you to ignore palpitations, especially if they are new, increasing in frequency, or causing discomfort.
Here’s more about heart palpitations during perimenopause, why they happen, and when it's time to seek medical care.
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause, when your body's production of estrogen and progesterone begins to fluctuate. These hormonal shifts affect many systems throughout the body, including the cardiovascular system.
Estrogen plays a role in helping regulate heart rhythm and maintaining healthy blood vessels. As estrogen levels change, some women become more aware of their heartbeat or notice sensations such as fluttering, pounding, racing, or skipped beats. These episodes may last only a few seconds or continue for several minutes.
Hot flashes, anxiety, stress, poor sleep, dehydration, caffeine, and alcohol may also increase the likelihood of experiencing palpitations.
In many cases, yes. Brief, occasional heart palpitations are considered a common symptom during all stages of life, including perimenopause, and are usually not a sign of serious heart disease.
However, "common" doesn't always mean they should be dismissed, and it's important not to assume hormonal changes cause every new heart-related symptom.
Even if palpitations are related to perimenopause, discussing them with your cardiologist is a good idea. Depending on your symptoms, we may recommend a medical evaluation and diagnostic studies to help determine whether your palpitations are harmless.
Although many palpitations are benign, certain symptoms should prompt immediate medical attention. We recommend seeking emergency care if your palpitations occur alongside:
In some cases, palpitations may be caused by conditions such as atrial fibrillation, thyroid disorders, anemia, medication side effects, or other heart rhythm abnormalities that require medical evaluation and treatment.
We also recommend scheduling an appointment at Premier Cardiology Consultants if your palpitations become more frequent, last longer than usual, occur during exercise, or interfere with your daily activities.
Your evaluation may include a review of your medical history, a physical examination, an electrocardiogram (EKG), blood work, or heart rhythm monitoring with a wearable device.
These tests can help identify abnormal heart rhythms and guide the most appropriate treatment plan.
While you can't prevent every hormonal change, healthy habits may reduce the frequency or severity of heart palpitations.
Consider these heart-friendly strategies:
Even small lifestyle changes often make a meaningful difference in both cardiovascular health and overall well-being during perimenopause.
Heart palpitations during perimenopause are often a normal response to changing hormone levels. However, they shouldn't be brushed aside without evaluation, especially if you have a known history of heart disease or increased risk factors such as diabetes.
Schedule a visit to Premier Cardiology Consultants today by calling one of our New York offices or reaching out online.
