Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Saving lives, one heart at a time: the fight against women’s heart disease

Bobbi Bogaev Chapman, MD
Conditions
February 23, 2023
Share
Tweet
Share

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease killed 314,186 women in 2021. This means that approximately one out of every five female deaths was due to heart disease, with the worst mortality burden on African American women.

It is abundantly clear that we are not where we need to be in terms of preventing and treating heart disease in women and raising awareness about how heart disease impacts women in both the public and medical communities.

Again, women can’t wait. And neither can our approach to better address heart disease in women.

Because of the female lives heart disease claims, we all have our personal, and oftentimes tragic, stories of a loved one. My story inspires me and will be with me forever. As a physician, my mother was diagnosed with heart disease on the heels of completing my heart failure fellowship. How could I have missed the signs that she was suffering? This is what I trained to do. The signs were there but, unfortunately, were not recognized. This experience shook me to my core. It also demonstrated to me the urgent need for more education in both the medical community and among the general public about women’s heart disease risk.

Highlighted by the American Heart Association in 2016, common symptoms of heart attacks in women, including fatigue, shortness of breath, indigestion, vomiting, and nausea, are too often dismissed by both patients and medical professionals. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in May 2022 showed that women experiencing chest pain waited longer than men to be seen by physicians in the emergency department and were less likely to be admitted to the hospital on account of their chest pain. And a study published in the Journal of Women’s Health in 2009 showed that women experiencing heart disease symptoms (chest pain) were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness compared to men who reported the same symptoms. This is unacceptable, and we need to do more and improve.

How can we make progress?

Prioritize education and outreach focused on women’s heart health for medical students, physicians in training, and practicing physicians. Research published in Women and Cardiovascular Health in 2022 highlights a lack of sex-specific training for cardiology fellowship programs in the U.S. Formal programs dedicated to women’s cardiovascular health are rare and elective. Let’s make those mandatory.

Focus on heart health in more health care settings. While there are many great heart care centers throughout the U.S., we are missing opportunities to prevent heart disease. Primary care and emergency physicians, among others, must play a significant role in this effort. We can arm them with the training and tools to better identify risks and help prevent heart disease.

Educate women about their heart disease risks more often and more consistently during medical visits. A survey from the American Heart Association shows that while most women are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, only 13 percent believe it is their greatest health risk. This must change. Too much education is not possible. We know that annual primary care visits are not long enough to address each and every health issue, but given the overwhelming evidence on the risk of heart disease in women, heart health must be a priority. The American Heart Association has many valuable resources available for free that can be shared with patients so that they leave the appointment armed with information to know their risk and recognize if they are in need of medical attention.

Invest in clinical trials focused on women and heart disease. There continues to be profound underrepresentation of women in cardiovascular disease clinical trials, which a 2020 study published in Circulation demonstrates. This could be causing patient harm as the data derived from these studies, which we use to inform treatment decisions for women, is based on studies where a majority of the participants were male. At the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session, a study found that there are too few women in cardiovascular clinical trial leadership but that female-led clinical trials increase female trial participants. Let’s use this data to our advantage and improve the engagement of female physicians in clinical trial leadership to increase female participant enrollment.

As we continue our work to better understand the differences in how heart disease presents and impacts men and women, it’s critical to share this knowledge. We know a lot now, but we’re still not sharing that knowledge broadly and comprehensively. While there has been progress made in decreasing mortality related to heart disease in both men and women, one important fact remains – heart disease can be prevented.

I want change now. Women can’t wait. My mother should not have needed to wait. We must act collectively and aggressively now to help save lives.

Roberta (Bobbi) Bogaev Chapman is a cardiologist and vice president for heart failure, Abiomed, Inc., Danvers, MA. She can be reached on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter @HeartRecovery and @abiomed. She leads the Women’s Heart Initiative and works collaboratively on all Abiomed-sponsored clinical trials, education, patient advocacy, and developing best practices for patients with heart failure.

Prev

Building trust with patients: the power of credibility, trustworthiness, and likeability

February 23, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

Voices unheard: the plight of patients and clinicians in the health care system

February 23, 2023 Kevin 2
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Cardiology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Building trust with patients: the power of credibility, trustworthiness, and likeability
Next Post >
Voices unheard: the plight of patients and clinicians in the health care system

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Thank you to the patients who have allowed me into your lives

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • The economic argument for saving lives

    Yenting Chen, MD
  • Open your heart to your suffering

    Toni Bernhard, JD
  • Healing and heart when recovering from cancer

    Pat Wetzel and Sherry-Ann Brown, MD, PhD
  • It’s time to end the USMLE Step 3 exam

    Madeline Wozniak
  • The magic of medicine stems from the empathy of one heart opening itself to another

    Claire Brown

More in Conditions

  • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

    Callia Georgoulis
  • Healing beyond the surface: Why proper chronic wound care matters

    Alvin May, MD
  • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • What a childhood stroke taught me about the future of neurosurgery and the promise of vagus nerve stimulation

    William J. Bannon IV
  • Facing terminal cancer as a doctor and mother

    Kelly Curtin-Hallinan, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Inside the heart of internal medicine: Why we stay

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • The quiet grief behind hospital walls

      Aaron Grubner, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • Bundled payments in Medicare: Will fixed pricing reshape surgery costs?

      AMA Committee on Economics and Quality in Medicine, Medical Student Section | Policy
    • How Project ECHO is fighting physician isolation and transforming medical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs

      Dr. Khutaija Noor | Education

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Inside the heart of internal medicine: Why we stay

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • The quiet grief behind hospital walls

      Aaron Grubner, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • Bundled payments in Medicare: Will fixed pricing reshape surgery costs?

      AMA Committee on Economics and Quality in Medicine, Medical Student Section | Policy
    • How Project ECHO is fighting physician isolation and transforming medical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs

      Dr. Khutaija Noor | Education

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...