Medical Groups Unveil Lifelong Women’s Heart Guidelines

Four major medical societies have issued the first shared, lifespan-based framework for cardiovascular care for girls and women, aiming to address fragmented care across specialties and identify risk earlier. The guidance organizes care around female life stages, from adolescence through menopause and beyond, and highlights how periods, pregnancy, and hormonal transitions can shape cardiovascular health. Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia may reveal risks that should inform prevention well after childbirth, while perimenopause can bring changes in cholesterol and metabolic health. The societies also call for a national network of comprehensive women’s cardiovascular care centers focused on coordinated clinical care, professional training, research, and community engagement. The effort responds to cardiovascular disease’s status as the leading cause of death among U.S. women and low public awareness of that risk.