Blood levels of LDL cholesterol that blocks arteries rises in women at the time of menopause, but no changes were seen in risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems, a new study has found.

"This suggests that as women approach menopause, they should get their lipid profiles checked," said Karen A. Matthews from the University of Pittsburgh and the study's lead author.

Increased cholesterol reported in the study definitely has an impact on a woman's health, says Dr Vera Bittner, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Two other studies reported in the same issue showed that higher doses of statins, drugs that lower LDL cholesterol levels, are more effective in the long run than lower doses in preventing heart attacks.

"Other risk factors we measured didn't show a dramatic change," Matthews said.

In the two-year window surrounding the final menstrual period, LDL of women under study rose by 10.5 points or 9 percent and average total cholesterol level increased by 6.5 percent.

Research says that women should pay more attention to lifestyle factors associated with cardiovascular risk as menopause approaches. "They should lose weight and increase physical activity," Matthews said.

It's been customary to give a higher statin dose after such an event, and the question has been whether to switch back to the lower dose after a while, said Dr Christopher P. Cannon, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.