Women's Heart Health

Nurse examining a patient using a stethoscope

Only half of American women believe that heart disease is their greatest health threat, despite it being the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, heart disease killed nearly 400,000 women or accounted for deaths in about 1 in every 5 women.

Women are also less likely to call 9-1-1 when experiencing heart symptoms, largely due to the uniqueness of women's heart disease symptoms and the media's attention on heart disease in men. In response, NewYork-Presbyterian created not one but two dedicated women's heart health programs, which are committed to caring for all of women's heart health needs.

Why Choose Us

Two Dedicated Programs to Women’s Heart Health

The Women's Heart Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Women's Heart Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center are keenly aware that heart disease is often misunderstood in women. Knowing that certain risk factors, medical conditions, and symptoms are unique to women—including pregnancy-related and autoimmune conditions and specific heart attack or stroke symptoms—can make all the difference.

At the Forefront of Women’s Heart Health

NewYork-Presbyterian has the expertise and experience to care for women’s unique cardiovascular health needs. We know that the heart disease symptoms in women tend to be more subtle than those experienced by men. With this understanding, our multidisciplinary team is equipped to deliver expert care for women across the lifespan.

Leaders in Pregnancy Heart Health

With two leading women's heart centers devoted to maternal health, NewYork-Presbyterian is poised to care for expectant moms' unique heart health needs. In 2018, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia opened the Mother's Center, the nation's first multidisciplinary center to focus specifically on caring for pregnant women with complex medical and surgical conditions.

The center is considered a nationwide model of maternal care to help reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates. The Mothers Center Heart Program provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical care to women with heart disease who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy.

In 2019, doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell created the Obstetric Cardiology Program. This multidisciplinary program combines maternal-fetal medicine, cardiology, and OB anesthesiology expertise to care for women with congenital or acquired heart disease during pregnancy and postpartum. Additionally, the program offers comprehensive preconception consultations.

We are pioneers in the field and have led and implemented standardized approaches in New York State to reduce the incidence of the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths and make pregnancy safer for mothers with cardiac disease. Our cardiologists and cardiac surgeons collaborate maternal fetal medicine specialists to address cardiac issues that can arise during the pregnancy or the postpartum period, including:

Severe hypertension
Venous thromboembolism
Heart failure
Arrhythmias
Valve disorders

Leaders in Research for Women's Heart Disease

Physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian's women's heart health programs lead pivotal studies that are instrumental in changing treatment guidelines. As research leaders, we often adopt novel heart disease treatments earlier than other centers—ultimately bringing our patients unprecedented access to safe and effective care. Doctors also recognize this access at other institutions, who routinely refer patients to our program for treatments not readily available elsewhere.

Recently, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center collaborated with 13 other institutions across the country to collect and analyze data on maternal deaths. As lead authors of the study, "Putting the 'M' back in maternal-fetal medicine: A five-year report card on a collaborative effort to address maternal morbidity and mortality in the US," we identified patterns and trends in maternal morbidity and mortality.

The results are crucial to understanding heart disease during pregnancy and postpartum, improving maternal safety, and eliminating preventable maternal deaths.

Our Team

Multidisciplinary Care for Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Our women's heart health teams include specialists in cardiology, cardiac surgery, obstetrician-gynecologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists (ob-gyns who care for complex pregnancies), and specialists in genetics, nutrition, physical therapy, and integrative health.

Our Approach to Care

Personalized Heart Care for Women

We believe it’s crucial to diagnose, manage, and treat heart disease in women early. Our compassionate team provides personalized care every step of the way—partnering closely with you and your family with the end goal of helping you spend less time in the hospital and more time living life.

During a consultative evaluation, which is often completed in a single day, our cardiologists collaborate with you to determine the best course of treatment. Some patients don't need a procedure right away but may need regular monitoring, medication, and lifestyle changes.

Consultations are available at our hospitals as well as offsite outpatient practices that may be closer to your home in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester. You may even be able to have your evaluation or get a second opinion remotely through our telehealth platform.