Women’s Heart Health Program
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death and illness in women in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity. Yet many women underestimate their risk of developing heart disease during their lifetime. This may lead women to ignore the warning signs, or to put off seeking care.
MyCardiologist’s Women’s Heart Health Program ensures that women receive the best care for their hearts and all of their cardiovascular needs. We offer the following services for a wide range of heart conditions.
- Prevention: Up to 70% of heart disease is preventable. Our cardiologists will assess your medical history and risk factors to develop a personalized care plan.
- Diagnostic Testing: MyCardiologist offers a full range of laboratory tests, non-invasive tests and invasive tests.
- Treatment: We offer advanced treatments from specialists in interventional cardiology, structural cardiology, electrophysiology, peripheral venous and arterial disease, and heart failure.
Our cardiologists understand the unique risk factors that women face. We work with you to keep your heart healthy and strong through each stage of your life.
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Men and women share many risk factors for heart disease. These
include, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking or second-hand smoke exposure, an unhealthy diet and a secondary lifestyle.
Some of those risk factors are even more dangerous for a woman’s heart health. For example, studies show that women with diabetes tend to develop heart disease sooner than diabetic men. Women with diabetes also tend to have heart attacks at younger ages than men, and women’s heart attacks are more likely to be fatal.
Women-Specific Risks
Women may have gender-specific risk factors that affect their heart health. Often, these risk factors are not included in standard tools to estimate cardiovascular risk.
Past Pregnancy Complications: During pregnancy, the heart needs to work extra hard to pump blood throughout the mother’s body and to support the fetus. The added stress may unmask pre-existing heart problems, lead to new problems (i.e., high blood pressure, diabetes or preeclampsia), or raise the risk of developing heart disease. Black women and Native American women are at even higher risk of these pregnancy-related complications.
Menopause: As women enter menopause, they become more likely to develop atherosclerosis or a buildup of plaques in the arteries. As women age, their “bad” cholesterol (LDL) also tends to rise, while “good” cholesterol (HDL) falls. Women who experienced early menopause (before age 45) are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease years later.
Breast Cancer Treatments: Some chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments can raise the risk of coronary artery disease. It’s very important for women with breast cancer and long-term breast cancer survivors to see a cardiologist with special expertise in these treatment-related issues.
Autoimmune Diseases: Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and lupus are autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks the body’s own organs or tissues. Women are more likely than men to have an autoimmune disease, which is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Women with autoimmune diseases can help protect their hearts by seeing a cardiologist with expertise in these conditions.
The Differences in Women and Men’s Heart Disease Symptoms
Women may also experience heart disease differently because their symptoms may be more subtle or less immediately recognizable as heart-related.
In addition to the classic heart attack symptoms such as chest pain or left arm pain, women may experience extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, nausea, indigestion, heart palpitations and sudden confusion.
What Can You Do?
If you have one or more of these factors, you are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. My Cardiologist can help assess this risk and help you achieve your heart health goals. We offer assistance with the following lifestyle modification programs including
- Dietary assessments
- Support for weight loss
- Smoking cessation assistance
- Instructions to help start an exercise program
- Mental health and stress reduction
Meet Our Women’s Heart Specialists
Abbe Rosenbaum, MD, MPH, FACC
Dr. Abbe Rosenbaum earned her medical doctorate at the Universidad Javeriana. She completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Cincinnati and has a master’s in Public Health from Harvard.
Ana Victoria Soto-Quintela, MD, FACC, FASE
Dr. Ana Victoria Soto-Quintela attended Johns Hopkins and earned her medical degree from Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Columbia and a fellowship at Mount Sinai.
Kristen Burton, MD, FACC
Dr. Kristen Burton earned her undergraduate degree and medical doctorate at the University of Miami. She completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency at USC Medical Center. Dr. Burton also went on to complete her 3- year fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at USC Medical Center in 2021 where she served as Chief Fellow for the program.
Lauren Frost, MD, FACC
Dr. Lauren Frost attended Duke University and received her medical doctorate at the University of Miami. She trained in Internal Medicine at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and completed her fellowship at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital.
For appointments or questions, call (786)-565-3511.