The American Heart Association announced a new initiative designed to transform how clinicians identify and treat cardiovascular risk in midlife women, powered by a $1 million philanthropic gift from Jennifer Ashton, M.D., and her husband Tom Werner. Menopause transition is a life stage marked by sharp, independent increases in cardiometabolic risk that often go unrecognized in clinical care. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, responsible for 1 in 3 female deaths each year, and it is projected to increase over the next few decades, according to the Association, making the need for coordinated, evidence‑based guidance for women in this life stage more urgent than ever before.
Propelled by Dr. Ashton and Mr. Werner’s investment, the planned educational initiative will equip cardiologists and OB‑GYNs with practical, interdisciplinary tools and education to better identify and treat cardiovascular risk in midlife women and close treatment gaps. The vision for a new continuing education program is collaborative, with the Heart Association working with other professional medical societies and organizations focused on women’s health care. The overall goal is to increase healthcare professional knowledge, competence and performance around women’s heart health with a focus on menopause and other OB-GYN issues. By fostering strong interdisciplinary collaboration, the education can enhance patient outcomes and reduce the burden of CVD among women.
For many women, the menopause transition marks the period when cardiovascular risk accelerates due to declining estrogen, increased abdominal fat, worsening lipid profiles, vascular stiffening, and rising blood pressure. This is a critical phase in a woman’s life that warrants collaborative care between the medical specialties that take care of these women. According to the American Heart Association, hot flashes and night sweats, the most common menopause-related symptoms, are associated with worse cardiovascular disease risk factor levels. Cholesterol levels and metabolic syndrome risk, cardiovascular risk factors, appear to increase with menopause beyond the effects of normal aging. Only 7.2% of women transitioning to menopause meet physical activity guidelines, and fewer than 20% maintain a healthy diet, compounding midlife risk. After menopause, 1 in 4 women may develop irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation, which increases stroke risk.
Early intervention at midlife remains one of the most powerful opportunities to prevent cardiovascular disease in women. Dr. Ashton noted that as an OB-GYN, the daughter of a cardiologist and a woman, she knows women’s cardiovascular risks are too often overlooked in midlife, which happens because OB-GYNs often don’t know the latest cardiology information, and cardiologists often are unaware of the most current aspects of menopause medicine. This program seeks to connect the dots between these two specialties with tailored curricula. Initial courses will launch in Fall 2026, with additional modules released through Spring 2027. Additional resources on this topic include the American Heart Association Scientific Statement available at https://www.heart.org/en/news/2023/05/31/menopause-transition-and-cardiovascular-disease-risk-implications-for-timing-for-early-prevention and information through Go Red For Women at https://www.goredforwomen.org.
