Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women — not breast cancer. And the changes that raise that risk don't start at menopause. They start in perimenopause, quietly, while you're busy managing hot flashes and brain fog. Your LDL is rising. Your arteries are beginning to stiffen. Your blood pressure is creeping up. A landmark March 2026 JAMA Cardiology study confirms this is the window to act. Here's the science, what it means for your body right now, and what the