Researchers suggest assessing women’s heart disease risks in their 30s instead of waiting until after menopause. A study presented in London showed that simple blood tests can now predict a woman’s risk of heart disease over the next 30 years. Dr. Paul Ridker from Brigham and Women’s Hospital highlighted that this finding is crucial for both patient care and drug manufacturers. Current guidelines recommend starting preventive treatments in women’s 60s or 70s, but this new data suggests updating these guidelines to better address long-term risks.

The study, involving 27,939 women from the Women’s Health Initiative, showed that those with high levels of LDL-C (bad cholesterol), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and lipoprotein(a) were significantly more likely to experience major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes, over the next 30 years. Women with high levels of all three markers were 2.6 times more likely to suffer a major cardiovascular event and 3.7 times more likely to have a stroke. Dr. Ridker noted that these biomarkers indicate different issues and require specific treatments. While drugs to lower LDL-C and hsCRP are available, treatments for lipoprotein(a) are still being developed. The findings, though based on white American women, are expected to be even more significant for Black and Hispanic women, who have higher undetected inflammation rates. Dr. Ridker called for universal screening for hsCRP and lipoprotein(a) to prevent heart disease globally.