A new way to think about the heart health of women
Four medical societies have collaborated on a series of new manuscripts designed to update the way clinicians think about the heart health of women. The American Heart Association (AHA), American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine worked together on these documents, ensuring female heart patients from all stages of life are well represented.
“Women experience their healthcare across clinical specialties, but it often is fragmented or disconnected,” Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc, chair of the collaborative writing group behind these manuscripts and Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said in a statement. “Specifically, these reports connect the dots for clinicians, for patients and across health domains so that care is holistic and begins in adolescence, recognizing that women’s heart health is uniquely shaped by biological transitions not experienced by men—periods, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause.”
“Women make up more than half the population, and their heart health must be a part of everyday care across medicine,” added Mariell Jessup, MD, chief science and medical officer of the AHA. “These publications give clinicians and health systems a shared foundation for recognizing risk throughout a woman’s life.”
New Female Life Stage framework looks at women’s heart health over time
According to the medical societies involved with this project, it is important to look at the prevention of cardiovascular disease in female heart patients as a lifelong process and not something that can be done all at once.
The groups defined specific life stages based on hormone changes in the bodies of girls and women:
- Stage 1 perimenarche. Approximate age range is 8 – 15 years.
- Stage 2 ovarian cycling. Approximate age range is 15 – 44 years.
- Stage 3 perimenopause. Approximate age range is 45-51 years.
- Stage 4 postmenopause. Approximate age is 51 years and older.
- Pregnancy. Can happen during any of these stages.
“For clinicians, this approach underscores that heart health cannot be understood by looking at the heart alone,” Khan said. “We need to recognize that women’s heart health is deeply interconnected with hormonal and emotional health.”
Three new manuscripts are now live
The manuscripts have all been published in Circulation. They include:
- A presidential advisory, “A Female-Specific Life Course Approach to the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease,” that establishes the importance of tracking heart health over the different stages of a woman’s life.[1]
- A scientific statement, “Consensus Guidance for the Female-Specific Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease,” focused on clinical data and guiding clinicians through the ins and outs of this topic.[2]
- A science advisory, “Comprehensive Centers of Excellence for Women's Cardiovascular Care,” that explores the current landscape of women’s cardiovascular facilities and proposes the implementation of a national infrastructure.[3]
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.