Women's Heart Program

Overview

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women. Cardiovascular disease kills one in five women and affects over 60 million women in the U.S. There are differences between women and men when it comes to this type of illness—including risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. That’s why our comprehensive Women’s Heart Program approaches cardiovascular health in women from many different angles: screening, community and provider education, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

We built a team of experts around evidence-based, personalized care to do more than treat cardiovascular disease in women; we’re also here to raise awareness by helping women recognize their unique signs and symptoms of cardiac disease.

UR Medicine's Approach

When it comes to cardiovascular disease, women experience uniquely different symptoms than men. That’s why evaluation and treatment need to be tailored to each woman. Our cardiologists, vascular surgeons and cardiac surgeons offer a multidisciplinary approach to cardiovascular disease specific to every patient's needs.

Program Features

A comprehensive assessment of your risk for cardiovascular disease. We look at specific risk factors and address cardiac symptoms related to women's health.
Specialized diagnostic evaluation that may include lab work, imaging studies, stress testing or cardiac catheterization.
Risk management through counseling or therapeutic lifestyle changes, medication and education designed around your individual case.

Connecting Women With Experts and Resources

Women’s hearts are different, and they need a different kind of care. Throughout your life, your needs may change. The Women’s Heart Program is designed to take care of women in all stages of life. That’s why we collaborate with programs across the

Maternal-Fetal Medicine
The Women’s Heart Program collaborates with Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) to help women with heart disease have safe and healthy pregnancies by optimizing medication and care. MFM offers various services to address the unique needs of pregnant women with heart disease, such as genetics services, which can assess the risk of passing on cardiac disease to the fetus. MFM can also help women who are not interested in pregnancy, by exploring contraceptive options that are safer for the heart.

Lifestyle Center
Practicing good nutrition is an important part of women's heart disease treatment. The Women’s Heart Program has worked with the Weight Management & Lifestyle Center to specifically develop heart healthy diets that can help prevent heart disease and treat women with known heart disease. Our programs use a plant-based diet, which research shows can have significant benefits in heart disease patients such as a lower risk of additional heart attacks.

Preventive Cardiology Program

UR Medicine’s Preventive Cardiology Program offers the most advanced, proven methods for preventing heart disease and enjoying a healthy lifestyle.

The first of its kind in our region, our program features:

Support in quitting smoking.
Diet and exercise programs to help you lose weight and reduce your risk.
Heart disease prevention for the whole family, including high-risk relatives.
Research and access to the most advanced approaches for preventing heart disease.

What Symptoms Should Women Look Out For?

If you’re a woman and you experience these symptoms, it could be a cardiovascular condition. Seek medical attention if you experience the following:

Decreased exercise tolerance
Breathlessness with exertion
Increasing fatigue
Decreased stamina for no clear reason

Patient Stories

"My heart tumor was inoperable."

"My heart tumor was inoperable. I wondered, 'Am I really going to die at age 30?'"

Jamie Arliss was diagnosed with a rare tumor in her heart. It threatened her life, and there was no known treatment.

Young Mother Faces Fight for Her Life

Carrie Fisher was pregnant and faced heart failure. She was afraid she would lose her child, but she could have lost so much more. UR Medicine doctors saved mother and baby, thanks to the generous gift of life.

What Sets Us Apart?

UR Medicine's Women's Heart Program is the only women's heart program in the region. We lead the region in the number and scope of specialized services offered.

UR Medicine Cardiac Care is home to the only heart failure, heart transplant, and cardio-oncology programs in the region. These and many other specialty programs bring the very latest treatment for a wide range of cardiac care issues close to home.