Experts unveil four-stage framework for women's heart health across the lifespan

Experts from the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a new framework that groups women's heart health into four stages. The aim is to give doctors and patients a clear roadmap from childhood through older age.

The four stages are meant to reflect the unique biological and hormonal changes women experience, helping clinicians identify risk factors and tailor prevention or treatment at each point in life.

The guidance was published in the journal Circulation and builds on research showing that women's heart disease presents differently from men's, from symptoms to underlying causes.

By coordinating care across specialties, the societies hope to lower cardiovascular disease as the top cause of death among women.