Menopause and Heart Palpitations: What Partners Should Know

Heart palpitations — a sudden awareness of the heartbeat as racing, fluttering, or pounding — are a recognised but often surprising symptom of menopause. They can be alarming for the woman experiencing them and for partners who witness them.

Why Menopause Causes Palpitations

Oestrogen plays a role in regulating the autonomic nervous system, which controls heart rate. As oestrogen declines, the heart's electrical system becomes more reactive — more susceptible to benign rhythm variations that produce the sensation of palpitations. Hot flushes can also trigger palpitation episodes, as the rapid vasodilation involved in a flush temporarily affects heart rate.

Palpitations during menopause are typically benign, but they can feel frightening in the moment. They are usually brief and self-resolving.

When to Take It Seriously

Most menopause-related palpitations require only reassurance and monitoring. However, if palpitations are accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, or if they are prolonged and frequent, a GP assessment is warranted to rule out cardiac causes. Heart disease risk does increase in the post-menopause years as oestrogen's cardiovascular protective effects reduce — this is an additional reason regular GP check-ins matter during this period.

How Partners Can Help

When she experiences palpitations, the most useful thing you can do is stay calm. Your reaction — whether panic or dismissal — will shape how she experiences the episode. "Are you okay? Let's just sit with this for a moment" is more useful than alarm or minimisation.

Encourage her to log episodes (frequency, duration, triggers) and discuss them with her GP. HRT can reduce palpitation frequency in many women. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which can trigger episodes, is also worth discussing together.