Women’s Cardiovascular Center

University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute offers a dedicated program that focuses on women with cardiovascular needs related to female hormones, pregnancy exposures and other gender-specific risk factors and risk-enhancing conditions.

Our Women’s Cardiovascular Center is a network of University Hospitals primary care and cardiovascular providers who collaborate closely with colleagues in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Menopause Center, Breast Center and Department of Rheumatology. Our goal is to help identify at-risk patients early so that we can reduce or prevent cardiovascular complications. In addition, this team serves women with any suspected or already diagnosed heart or vascular disease, with seamless referrals to other specialty programs of the Institute should the need arise, so care is optimized for the best outcomes.

Who to Refer

Consider a referral for women with:

• History of preeclampsia, gestational hypertension or gestational diabetes
• Pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy and peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Placental abruption or who delivered preterm
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Premature menopause (before 40 years of age)
• Menopause and starting hormone replacement
• Congenital heart disease (corrected and uncorrected)
• Chronic inflammation (e.g. lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease)
• Fibromuscular dysplasia or arterial dissection
• History of breast cancer treated with chemotherapy or chest radiation
• Suspected or already diagnosed cardiovascular disease

Clinical Resources

• Summary of Updated Recommendations for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women: JACC State-of-the-Art Review
• 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines