Four medical societies publish framework for women's heart health

Four medical societies have issued a framework to coordinate heart health care for women across their lifetimes. The American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released the guidelines to address gaps in clinical care. The organizations stated that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women. Research from clinical trials that required female participants only since 1993 has shown that women's hearts differ from men's. These differences include varying chromosomes in heart muscle cells, as well as different heart attack symptoms and causes. Despite this evidence, the societies noted that wide gaps remain in heart health care for girls and women across specialties. The new framework aims to unite clinicians and patients over a lifetime of care. Three articles offering guidance across the course of a woman's life were published Monday in Circulation.