Heart Disease is Very Much a Woman’s Disease

A woman’s heart is simply different from a man’s. Certainly our heart attack symptoms differ, and may cause delay in taking symptoms seriously. In fact, it may be surprising to know that heart disease is the number one cause of death for women over 25, causing more deaths than all types of cancer combined. 

Most heart attacks are years in the making. Meal by meal, bad cholesterol builds up in the arteries and restricts blood flow. High blood pressure problems cause the heart muscle to overwork and weaken. Smoking damages the lungs and heart. Or, your family medical history shows generations of heart disease. 

The good news is that heart disease in women can be prevented and controlled.

Virtua's female cardiologists can help you learn about heart health from a woman’s point of view: The lifestyle risks, medical issues and family history that can cause or contribute to heart disease. We specialize in women’s heart-health issues. We supplement those services with programs to help combat heart disease including nutrition, bariatric surgery, and diabetes self-management. We even have a high-risk obstetrics program that caters to women with, or at risk for, heart disease connected to pregnancy through coordinated care. 

WomenHeart at Virtua

Virtua also offers WomenHeart, a cardiac support group for women by women. 

This support group offers:

• WomenHeart Champions who are heart disease survivors, and who trained at WomenHeart Science and Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic.
• Education from Virtua experts to help you reduce future risks.
• Peer-to-peer support from women living with heart disease.

Monthly support sessions are now being conducted virtually. Click here for more information and dates. To connect with a WomenHeart Champion, call 833-894-3278.

Make an Appointment

You can make an appointment online by choosing the link to any of Virtua’s women’s heart specialists:

Sweta Chandela, MD
Maria Duca, MD
Rozy Dunham, MD
Hafez Shaikh, DO
Delcine Sood, DO
Talya Spivack, MD

Or, to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist, call our women's health navigators at 833-VHWomen.