Comprehensive Care for Women’s Heart Health, Close to Home

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States. It is known as a silent killer, as the symptoms of heart disease or heart attacks in women can be very different from men and not always recognized as heart related. Cape Cod Healthcare encourages women to be aware of their risks for heart disease and to take charge of their heart health.

Did You Know?

• A woman dies from cardiovascular disease every 80 seconds.
• Among females 20 years and older, nearly 45% are living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
• Approximately 1 in 4 women (27.5%) are overweight.
• Nearly 13 of every 100 American women smoke (12.7%).
• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women annually, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined.
• More than five times as many women (299,000) die of heart disease in a year than breast cancer (42,000). 
• Since 1984, more women than men have died of heart disease each year.
• Most women begin to develop heart disease at a very young age.
• Women face a 20% increased risk of developing heart failure or dying within five years after their first severe heart attack compared with men.

Source: CDC, NIH, American Heart Association

Heart Attack Symptoms to Watch For

Health professionals recognize that women’s heart attack symptoms can vary significantly from those experienced by men. Learn the warning signs of a heart attack in women and men.

Protect Your Heart

Learn more about women and heart disease from the National Institutes of Health, including specific risk factors affecting women and preventive action to reduce the risk of this dangerous disease.

Cape Cod Healthcare Heart and Vascular Institute

Your primary care doctor or gynecologist may refer you to a cardiologist, if he or she suspects a heart-related condition. Symptoms that may indicate a heart condition include persistent shortness of breath, chest pain or dizziness. A cardiologist will review your medical history and perform a physical exam that may include checking blood pressure, weight, heart, lungs and blood vessels. Some issues may be diagnosed by symptoms at the examination; others will require more specialized testing. The specialists at our nationally recognized Heart and Vascular Institute, including cardiologists, heart and vascular surgeons, cardiac nurses and technicians, are highly skilled in detecting and treating women’s heart conditions.

Utilizing the latest technology, we offer a comprehensive range of services and advanced procedures to achieve best outcomes, including non-invasive testing and imaging, catheter-based interventional cardiology, and invasive cardiology using open or minimally-invasive surgery:

• Advanced cardiac imaging
• Angioplasty and stenting
• Aortic aneurysm repair or removal
• Cardiac ablation, including cryoablation
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac electrophysiology
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Cardiac screening and education
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Cardioversion
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

• Coronary artery surgery
• Defibrillator placement
• Echocardiograms
• Electrophysiology studies
• Exercise stress tests
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Heart failure clinic
• Hypothermia therapy
• Intra-aortic balloon pump therap
• MAZE procedure for atrial fibrillation correction

• Mitral valve repair and replacement, including minimally invasive repair
• Open heart surgery
• Pacemaker placement, including Micra Transcatheter Pacing System
• Pharmalogical stress tests
• Thoracic aortic surgery
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
• Vascular medicine and surgery
• Watchman™ left atrial appendage closure