A new study from Arizona State University reveals that postmenopausal increases in cholesterol and other blood lipids occur universally—even among the Bolivian Tsimane, an indigenous forager-horticulturalist community with one of the healthiest cardiovascular profiles globally.
Published in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, the research examined blood lipid changes in Tsimane women before and after menopause.
Despite the Tsimane’s traditional lifestyle characterized by a diet free from processed foods and exceptional physical activity—averaging 15,000 to 20,000 steps daily—the study found significant increases in key lipid biomarkers such as triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol post-menopause.
“The lipid markers were between 1.5 to 11 percent higher after menopause,” said Madeleine Getz, lead author and PhD student at ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change. “This rise was unexpected given their remarkably low rates of heart disease.”
Although the increase was two to seven times lower than those documented in industrialized populations like the United States and the U.K., the pattern mirrored postmenopausal changes observed worldwide.
These findings suggest that elevated cholesterol levels following menopause represent a fundamental human physiological response, independent of lifestyle or environment. “This indicates menopause-related heart disease risk factors may be a human universal,” Getz noted.
The Tsimane community offers a unique lens into pre-industrial human health, known for minimal chronic disease and low late-age inflammation. The study was conducted in partnership with long-term anthropological and biomedical research efforts led by Benjamin Trumble, senior author and co-director of the Tsimane Health and Life History Project at ASU. This collaboration has spanned over two decades, integrating health monitoring with community support.
Trumble emphasized the broader implications: “Even among the healthiest hearts on Earth, menopause triggers increases in cardiovascular risk factors, underscoring that these changes are deeply rooted in human biology and not merely a product of modern lifestyle.”
The research enhances understanding of menopause’s universal impact and reinforces the need to consider physiological changes in cardiovascular health management for postmenopausal women across diverse populations.
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