New Heart Disease Guidance Targets Rising Deaths Among Women

WHO:

NBC News Health - The American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine jointly developed the guidance.

NBC News Health - Dr. Jennifer Haythe, a cardiologist at New York Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center, discussed the updated guidelines on TODAY.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, former volunteer president of the AHA, helped write three scientific papers on the guidance.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Dr. Sadiya S. Khan, chair of the AHA’s science advisory group for women’s health, co-authored the guidance.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Dr. Amanda M. Perak is an associate professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine at Northwestern; Dr. Natalie A. Cameron is an internal medicine specialist and Northwestern assistant professor.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Dr. Esther Kim directs the Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health at Atrium Health in North Carolina and chairs cardiovascular medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Charlotte.

WHAT:

NBC News Health - Four major health organizations created a coordinated, life-stage approach to preventing and treating heart disease in women, beginning early in life.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The organizations published the “Female Life Stages” framework, with age-specific recommendations for preventing, detecting, and managing cardiovascular health from puberty through menopause.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death among women, causing more than 400,000 deaths annually in the United States—more than breast cancer, lung cancer, and chronic lung disease combined. About 41% of women recognize it as their greatest health threat.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The AHA projected women with at least one cardiovascular disease would increase from 10.7% in 2020 to 14.4% in 2050; nearly 60% of U.S. women were projected to have high blood pressure by 2050.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The framework identifies four stages: perimenarche (ages 8–15), ovarian cycle and pregnancy (15–44), perimenopause (45–51), and postmenopause (51 and up).

WHERE:

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The article describes cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death among women in the United States and worldwide.

WHY:

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The guidance aims to address rising heart-disease risk and fragmented care across specialties, which its authors said contributes to suboptimal care.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The framework addresses biological transitions—including menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause—that shape women’s cardiovascular health.

HOW:

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - The guidance calls for holistic care beginning in adolescence, earlier recognition of risk, personalized prevention, and action before heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Persistent heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding and a first period before age 10 can signal increased later cardiovascular risk; the article says early menstruation warrants closer attention to healthy habits and routine checkups, not automatic medication.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Pregnancy-related high blood pressure and gestational diabetes can indicate later heart-disease risk; perinatal depression and anxiety affect up to 20% of pregnant women and can increase cardiovascular complications.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Estrogen, estradiol, and progesterone affect blood vessels, brain, heart muscle, cholesterol, blood-cell stickiness, inflammation, blood pressure, and stress response.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Menopause before age 45 is associated with significantly higher coronary heart-disease risk; hot flashes and night sweats can last up to 10 years and are associated with worse cardiovascular risk-factor levels.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 15:07 UTC)

Four major medical organizations have introduced a life-stage framework for preventing, detecting and treating heart disease in women, beginning in adolescence and continuing through menopause. The guidance emphasizes personalized prevention and closer attention to factors such as early menstruation, pregnancy-related high blood pressure or diabetes, and menopause before age 45, which can signal higher cardiovascular risk. Heart disease and stroke cause more than 400,000 deaths among women in the United States each year, and the organizations say coordinated care can help identify risks earlier and improve prevention.