I’ve been putting this series together ever since mid-July, when a dear and long-time client of mine experienced a heart attack.
I dedicate this series to her—and to everyone reading this. We all have a heart to care for, and understanding that heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men is where that care begins.
Your Heart Has a Life Story
Place a hand on your chest and feel the rhythm that has kept time through every chapter of your life: first periods, pregnancies (or the choice not to), the busy years, and ultimately perimenopause and menopause.
In late October, something quietly historic happened. The American Heart Association joined the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine to release the first coordinated, multi-society framework on preventing, detecting, and managing heart disease in girls and women across their lifespan.
Its central idea? A woman’s heart health is a lifelong story shaped by biological transitions, and care should follow her through every stage.
Lead author Dr. Sadiya Khan described this approach as one that considers cardiovascular, hormonal, and emotional health together. Women’s hearts are shaped by transitions men don’t experience: menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause.
Key Takeaways from the New Framework
Why this matters: Cardiovascular disease claims more than 400,000 women’s lives in the U.S. each year—more than breast cancer, lung cancer, and chronic lung disease combined. Yet only about 41% of women recognize it as their greatest health threat.
The invitation inside the news: The framework treats midlife as a window of opportunity. It calls perimenopause a cardiovascular inflection point, noting that heart attacks, strokes, and heart-failure events occurring after menopause are more than 80% preventable when action is taken early. You are not behind—you are at a threshold with real, actionable tools.
Your story counts: Pregnancy history is heart history. Complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or preterm birth are recognized risk markers, as are heavy or irregular periods. If you’ve experienced any of these, it is valuable information to share with your clinician—not a verdict.
Over the next five issues, we’ll look at symptoms, midlife transitions, diagnostic tests, treatments, and daily somatic and nutritional practices. Physician-researchers such as Dr. Martha Gulati and Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz have long pointed out that women’s hearts were historically studied through a male lens; this new guidance is a sign that the gap is finally beginning to close.
For Every Heart
A quick note for the men in my community—and for anyone who loves one:
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men too, and nothing in this series is "just for women." Understanding how differently heart conditions can present makes everyone a better advocate. Please feel free to forward these issues to partners, brothers, and friends. Men’s own life stages matter, and the daily practices and diagnostic tests we cover in upcoming issues apply to every heart.
This Week’s Invitation
Sketch your heart’s timeline: Note past pregnancies, pregnancy complications, periods that changed, and family history. Bring this timeline to your next medical appointment.
Notice how you feel in your body: Pay gentle attention to your energy, sleep, and breath this week. No judgment—just awareness.
Share this issue: Pass this email along to someone you care about.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is attention—and attention is where care begins.
If you’d like to talk through where you are in your own health journey, I invite you to book a complimentary discovery call here:
https://calendly.com/lisamarlene-thompson/discovery?month=2026-11
Coming Next Week:: Not the Hollywood Heart Attack. How symptoms present differently in women, and why "clear" arteries don’t always mean a quiet heart.
Warmly,
Lisa Marlene Thompson, BA, FNTP
Functional & integrative Nutritionist · Women’s Health Practitioner · Somatic/Embodiment Teacher
This newsletter is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you experience chest pain, pressure, shortness of breath, or other symptoms, seek emergency care or contact your clinician.
Lisa Marlene Thompson is a Functional & Integrative Nutritionist, somatic/embodiment teacher, and health and lifestyle guide for anyone ready to feel more alive in their body. With advanced certifications in menopause science with Dr. Stacy Sims, somatic movement with Michaela Boehm, and sleep and brain health informed by the research of Lisa Mosconi and Matt Walker, her work sits at the intersection of cutting-edge science and deep body wisdom.
Her signature program — Strength, Sleep & Sensuality — is an invitation to come home to your body: to build real strength, reclaim restorative sleep, and rediscover a nervous system that is grounded and provides aliveness in the body that belongs to this chapter of life. She is based in Los Angeles and works with clients worldwide.
Your most vibrant chapter is still ahead.
I'd love to explore what's possible together → Reach out: lisa@lisamarlenethompson.com