“If blood pressure is not addressed when women are in their 40s or 50s, they will have problems in their 70s when hypertension is more difficult to treat,” she added.
The document provides guidance on managing heart health during menopause, after pregnancy complications, and alongside other conditions such as breast cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome. It notes the important role of a healthy lifestyle and diet.
While hormone therapy can ease menopause symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes in women over 45, their heart disease risk factors need to be assessed before starting the therapy, the guidance states.
It also offers advice for transgender women (people assigned male at birth). They need hormone therapy for the rest of their lives and their risk of blood clots increases over time, Maas said. As such, they should always be encouraged to reduce modifiable lifestyle risks, according to the document.
“Women can help their doctors prevent heart problems and make earlier diagnoses by mentioning issues like complicated pregnancies and early menopause and monitoring their own blood pressure,” Maas said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on women and heart disease prevention.
