As a preventive heart care expert, I’ve often encountered women in their 40s and early 50s facing unexpected heart issues. Many mistakenly believe that heart disease is only a concern after menopause.
This misconception can be dangerous and even life-threatening. While standard care has long focused on post-menopausal women as the primary group at risk for heart disease, we are seeing troubling signs much earlier.
Unfortunately, the early warning signs are often missed or dismissed.
Take Jessica, for example. At 42, she was active, seemingly healthy, and maintaining an ideal weight with six-pack abs. She had normal cholesterol levels and was considered extremely low or no risk for heart disease.
However, one day she experienced chest pain and shortness of breath. When rushed to the ER, she was diagnosed with a heart attack, which came as a shock given her “healthy” profile. As she sought answers to understand the root causes of her heart attack, no one could give her a clear explanation.
Despite extensive medical evaluations, no one thought to ask about her pregnancy history. What was overlooked was that Jessica had experienced preeclampsia during her first pregnancy, a condition that significantly raises the risk of heart disease later in life.
This crucial factor had gone unnoticed, and it’s a gap in standard care that can leave many women vulnerable.
Pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes are rarely included in routine heart health discussions, yet they can have a long-lasting impact on a woman’s cardiovascular system.
Ignoring these key factors leaves many women at risk, with heart disease often appearing earlier than expected. By the time symptoms emerge, it may be too late for effective prevention.
We need to broaden our approach to women’s heart health. By recognizing early warning signs and asking the right questions — including pregnancy history — we can be proactive in protecting women’s hearts long before they reach the high-risk years.
Heart health doesn’t start after menopause — it starts now. Let’s act before it’s too late.
Pratiksha Gandhi, MD, is a world-renowned preventive heart care expert based in Encinitas. For more information visit heartstrongwellness.co or call 858-500-1399.
