Getting serious about women’s heart health

Victoria’s first clinic focused on women’s heart health is up and running at The Alfred and lead cardiologist, Dr Monique Watts said it is both improving her patients’ quality of life, and saving lives.

“I saw the challenges my female patients were facing, both those who had suffered unexpected heart attacks at a young age and those with chest pain, and they didn’t fit simply into a male pattern of heart disease,” Dr Watts said.

“There are physiological differences between the hearts of men and women, but much of the literature we base diagnosis and treatment on has traditionally drawn on a male study population.”

Compared with men, heart disease in women has traditionally been under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated. Despite this, there are clear risk factors for women that are exposed and amplified at various stages of their life, including during pregnancy and at the time of menopause.

“While The Alfred’s Heart Centre is already at the forefront of understanding certain heart conditions that impact women more than men, Australia has long-been behind some parts of the world in this subspecialty of cardiology,” Dr Watts said.

“We have world leading interventions to treat many heart problems, but diagnosis is key to acting. With added research we can do even better.”

The clinic has already seen close to 300 women since opening during the pandemic, and will appoint two more cardiologists by early next year.

Visiting The Alfred, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the clinic is leading world-class research, diagnosis and specialist care in Victoria, to help better understand and prevent the leading cause of death for women worldwide.

“Through both face-to-face and telehealth appointments, the clinic will boost heart health for women in every corner of our state – and most importantly, it will save Victorian lives.”

More information about the Women’s Heart Clinic is available on our web site.