{"id":1187575,"date":"2026-11-14T14:43:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T14:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1187575\/"},"modified":"2026-11-14T14:43:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T14:43:14","slug":"heart-health-is-different-for-women-new-guidelines-explain-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1187575\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart health is different for women. New guidelines explain how"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n The streaming series Body Language by CNN<\/a> takes an unflinching look at the unspoken health experiences in women\u2019s lives. New episodes drop on Thursday.\n<\/p>\n

\n Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet less than half recognize it as their greatest health threat, said Dr. Sadiya S. Khan, the lead author on a new set of guidelines for assessing women\u2019s cardiovascular health risk.\n <\/p>\n

\n Research increasingly shows that the risk of stroke, heart disease and other cardiovascular issues is associated with the hormonal shifts that happen over the course of women\u2019s lives, from their first period to their last.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThere\u2019s clearly a pattern there,\u201d said Khan, Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.\n <\/p>\n

\n The new guidelines, published October 26 in the journal Circulation<\/a> by experts from the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, aim to make that pattern clearer, so women and their doctors know what to look for at every stage.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cOrganizing care around these stages creates natural checkpoints to catch risks early, rather than leaving decades of a woman\u2019s lifespan unmonitored,\u201d said Dr. Nisha Parikh, system director of the Women\u2019s Heart Program at Northwell Health, who was not involved in the report.\n <\/p>\n

\n The guidelines should be \u201cempowering rather than frightening,\u201d Khan said. Understanding risk can help women now and help them <\/strong>to prepare for what comes next.\n <\/p>\n

\"Parents<\/p>\n

\n It\u2019s never too early to think about heart health, said study coauthor Dr. Tamara Hannon, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Parents can help their children build habits that will benefit their heart health for the rest of their lives. Encouraging healthy eating \u2014 including lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limiting ultraprocessed foods,<\/a> fat from animal sources and juice and other sugary drinks \u2014 isn\u2019t just good for developing bodies but makes it the norm as kids grow up.\n <\/p>\n

\n A healthy diet reduces the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes<\/a>, which are both associated with cardiovascular disease down the line.\n <\/p>\n

\n Hannon also stressed treating daily physical activity as a life skill (rather than a weight-loss technique) and promoting good sleep<\/a>, as both are essential for cardiovascular health.\n <\/p>\n

\n Make sure your child\u2019s pediatrician tracks her growth, she said, as poor or excessive growth may indicate hormonal imbalances that could affect her cardiovascular health. And if there is a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease or heart attack before the age of 50, be sure to have her cholesterol checked. Plaque can accumulate in the blood vessels early on and \u201cwear and tear on the blood vessels in the heart can start to add up,\u201d Hannon said. High cholesterol in children can be treated with diet, exercise and medication (statins) if needed.\n <\/p>\n

\n Doctors might not pay attention to a healthy 18-year-old\u2019s cholesterol level, \u201cbut that cholesterol is going to affect her 20 years or 30 years from now,\u201d said coauthor Dr. Afshan B. Hameed, a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and cardiology at University of California, Irvine. A recent European study found<\/a> \u201csilent atherosclerosis,\u201d or early buildup of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels, in 1 out of 13 people ages 18 to 29.\n <\/p>\n

\n Adolescence is also a good time to check for markers of diabetes risk, such as blood pressure, blood sugar and A1c. Nearly one-third of adolescents and teens have prediabetes<\/a> (which can develop into diabetes), research has found. People with diabetes are twice as likely <\/a>as those without it to get heart disease \u2014 and the longer you have diabetes, the greater the risk, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n <\/p>\n

\n Beginning menstruation before age 10 is associated with greater cardiovascular disease risk in adulthood, the report said. Doctors aren\u2019t entirely sure what the connection is, but weight may play a role, since higher body mass index, or BMI, and earlier periods often go hand in hand. Girls who get their periods earlier are also at greater risk of developing eating disorders, which can damage the heart<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n An earlier period may indicate polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome<\/a>, or PMOS (previously called PCOS)<\/a>, a hormonal condition that can increase cardiovascular risk in adulthood. Irregular or heavy periods are symptoms, too, so it is important girls talk to their doctors about what they are experiencing.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s normal for the first six years after you\u2019ve gotten your period to have somewhat irregular periods. It\u2019s not normal to have excessive bleeding to the point where you\u2019re missing school or having periods more often than every 28 days,\u201d Hannon said. \u201cThis pattern can be a sign of increased risk for cardiovascular disease.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n If painful periods or depressive mood cause difficulty sleeping or keep girls from engaging in sports or other physical activity, that, too, can influence their heart health.\n <\/p>\n

\n Whether you have only had your period for a few years, or you are well-acquainted with Aunt Flow, it is crucial to pay attention to irregular cycles, changes in your cycle or heavy bleeding. Keep in mind that what feels normal to you may be \u201cheavy\u201d by clinical standards; a typical sign of heavy menstrual bleeding<\/a> is going through a pad or tampon every hour for multiple hours.\n <\/p>\n

\n Khan acknowledged that while there are \u201cgaps in research\u201d that need to be filled, doctors know that there is an association between irregular periods and higher cardiovascular risk. \u201cIt may be because of PMOS or other factors,\u201d she said, but either way, it warrants attention.\n <\/p>\n

\n An estimated 10% to 13% of women have PMOS, which can result in increased visceral fat and insulin resistance, which increase cardiovascular disease risk, the report said. The condition is often misdiagnosed \u2014 or missed entirely. Women with PMOS are at fourfold higher risk of heart attack and strokes, Hameed said.\n <\/p>\n

\"Pregnancy<\/p>\n

\n The new guidelines emphasize the impacts of social and emotional well-being on physical health. And because of \u201cthe gendered aspects of being a girl or a woman in the world,\u201d Khan said, women need to take those impacts seriously. Body image stigma can lead to unhealthy or disordered eating, for example, which puts women at increased risk of heart damage.\n <\/p>\n

\n Mood issues may disturb sleep, which is crucial for the cardiovascular system, and keep girls and women from engaging in other heart-healthy behaviors, such as eating well and exercising regularly. These issues also may reflect major hormonal fluctuations that, themselves, can significantly affect cardiovascular disease risk.\n <\/p>\n

\n Mood disruptions can be \u201cvital windows into future heart disease,\u201d Parikh said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Hameed likened pregnancy to being on a treadmill for nine months. That stress can cause an otherwise healthy woman to develop cardiomyopathy (weakening of the heart muscles), or bring out previously undiagnosed cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death during pregnancy and for the first year after giving birth, she said.\n <\/p>\n

\n If you are pregnant or have given birth in the last year and have shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme fatigue, swelling in the legs or don\u2019t feel up to your usual energy level, it could be due to the stress of pregnancy or having a new baby \u2014 or it could be a sign of cardiovascular disease. \u201cDon\u2019t dismiss your symptoms,\u201d Hameed said. Talk to your doctor.\n <\/p>\n

\n What happens during pregnancy can predict future cardiovascular health as well. Women who have complications during pregnancy \u2014 such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, a growth-restricted baby<\/a> or preterm delivery \u2014 are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases later.\n <\/p>\n

\n Estrogen protects the heart and blood vessels, and during perimenopause \u2014 the roughly four to seven years before a woman stops menstruating \u2014 estrogen begins to decline. These hormonal shifts can have an enormous impact on health and well-being \u2014 and specifically on cardiovascular health. For example, \u201cbad\u201d LDL cholesterol may rise, arteries stiffen and fat can accumulate around organs.\n <\/p>\n

\n Perimenopausal women also may experience mood issues and night sweats. \u201cIt\u2019s super important that we are recognizing the burden that they place on quality of life,\u201d Khan said. \u201cIf you\u2019re not sleeping well, we know that\u2019s linked to cardiovascular disease risk.\u201d Fortunately, she added, there are treatments that help perimenopause symptoms, including hormone replacement and behavioral therapy.\n <\/p>\n

\n Women should bring up their concerns with their doctors \u2014 and doctors should be on the lookout as well. With vigilance, perimenopause presents an opportunity to prevent a heart attack, stroke or coronary artery disease, Hameed said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Women generally are at lower risk of heart disease than men. That changes with menopause, when women no longer produce cardio-protective estrogen. In the years after her last period, a woman\u2019s cardiovascular disease risk quickly catches up to and eventually exceeds a man\u2019s, Hameed said. Like men, their risk of heart disease is largely a factor of age, genetics, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and the cumulative effects of lifestyle choices, such as smoking, diet and exercise.\n <\/p>\n

\n Her hormonal and reproductive health history matters, too. Getting her first period early, irregular cycles, heavy periods pregnancy complications and going into menopause before age 45 all raise the risk of cardiovascular problems.\n <\/p>\n

\n That\u2019s why, Khan said, it is important for girls and women to discuss these things with their doctor, in addition to standard measures of cardiovascular health, such as blood pressure and cholesterol.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cEverything that happened before can inform your risk and guide your ongoing care,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot that can be done.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN\u2019s Life, But Better newsletter<\/a> for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The streaming series Body Language by CNN takes an unflinching look at the unspoken health experiences in women\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1187576,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[11],"tags":[210,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-1187575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117615329718010249","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1187575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1187576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1187575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1187575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1187575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}