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HEART RESERVE MIDLIFE CHECK

What changed since your last checkup?

Your blood pressure. Your sleep. The walk that used to feel easy. Put what changed into words for your next visit.

Pregnancy & heart history

Begin with the life you want to keep

What do you want your heart to let you keep doing?

Your history + four heart questions

Choose the phrase that fits each question today.

Answer what you know and skip anything you want. Your answers help you prepare for a visit. They do not give you a health score.

01HISTORYWhat from your health history do you want your care team to know?

Think about pregnancy, menopause, health problems in your family, serious illnesses, and changes in treatment.

02FLOWDo you know how your results have changed?

Think about your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. It is okay if you do not have old results to compare.

Have you ever had Lp(a) measured?

If you were told it was not elevated, bring the actual number, units and date if you can. It may still have been in the intermediate range. This tool does not interpret your result.

When might another Lp(a) test help?

Lp(a) is largely inherited, so one measurement is often enough. If an earlier result was in the intermediate range, between clearly low and high, your clinician may consider repeating it when the result could change your heart-risk assessment. This may be reasonable after menopause or pregnancy, or with chronic kidney disease or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). This does not mean every woman needs a repeat test at menopause.

Read the guidance and sources

03BEATDo you have a question about your heartbeat?

Does your heart race, pound, flutter, or seem to skip a beat? Think about when it happens, how long it lasts, and how you feel.

04PUMPDid you understand your heart test results?

A heart ultrasound, also called an echo, shows how your heart is built and pumps. An echo done at rest does not measure how much exercise you can do. Bring your report to discuss what it did and did not check.

05POWERIs a familiar task becoming easier or harder?

Think about climbing stairs, walking, carrying groceries, or how long you need to rest after activity.

06YOUR QUESTIONWhat would you like to ask at your next visit?

Choose the question you most want help with. If you are not sure, choose “Help me decide.” Your answers do not decide which health problem is most urgent.

Want to review everyday habits and heart-health numbers? Explore the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8.

How this check was built

Sources and review status.

These questions draw on American Heart Association information about menopause, pregnancy history, and heart health. They help you organize what you know about blood flow, heartbeat, pumping, and daily activities. This tool has not been tested to show that it can estimate your chance of disease or guide treatment.

Created by
Lisa Zahakos, RPA-C
Status
Educational framework
Sources checked
September 4, 2026

Sources

  1. 2026 Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: Lp(a) testingACC/AHA Multisociety Guideline · 2026
  2. 2025 cholesterol guideline update: Lp(a) and menopauseEuropean Society of Cardiology / European Atherosclerosis Society · 2025
  3. Menopause Transition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Implications for Timing of Early PreventionAmerican Heart Association · 2020
  4. Life’s Essential Eight: Updating and Enhancing the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Health ConstructAmerican Heart Association · 2022
  5. Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Cardiovascular Disease RiskAmerican Heart Association · 2021

These sources inform the educational content; they do not endorse HEART RESERVE. Independent clinical review will be named only after the exact material has been reviewed and attribution approved in writing.

Read the editorial and review standard

What this tool can do

It helps you prepare for care.

This tool cannot estimate your chance of heart disease, explain your own test results, choose a treatment, or tell you that exercise is safe. Ask your care team what is right for you. Call emergency services for new chest pressure, severe shortness of breath, fainting, or signs of stroke.