SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — National Women’s Health Week is a time for women to step back and make sure they are focusing on their health.
One part of women's bodies that are at the highest risk is the heart, as heart disease is the number one killer in women in the U.S. Now, a local hospital is taking new steps to push for change in that unsettling statistic.
A brand new and unique Women's Heart Group just opened at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center. The center provides holistic care for women by women, and is focusing on heart disease. It's something that often goes undiagnosed, and if it's untreated, it can be deadly.
The Journal of American College of Cardiology reported only 14 percent of cardiologists in the country are female. HonorHealth said it's now bridging the gap on gender inequalities of heart health by honing in on female-pattern heart disease, and moving specialized care for women forward at the new center.
Medical professionals there will provide cardiovascular care for women at all stages of life. Lindsey Thompson is the Network Director of Cardiovascular Programs and added both of her pregnancies were complicated with cardiovascular issues, so she’s inspired to help women like her.
“Throughout my pregnancies I had to have medication for cardiac rhythm issues and even after pregnancy, some of the things resolved but never really completely did resolve," Thompson said. "So that’s where I struggle the most as a patient and someone working in the cardiovascular realm. I found myself minimizing my symptoms and minimizing my feelings and not being able to advocate for myself.”
HonorHealth’s heart group treats an array of conditions from postpartum heart health, to coronary artery disease, hypertension and more. There will be exercise programs, clinical research trials and heart health classes.
Also happening to raise awareness for women's health in the Valley is the Go Red For Women Luncheon on Friday, May 13. It’s another opportunity to draw attention to the troubling one in three women who will die of heart disease in the U.S., while also focusing on stroke prevention.
The Go Red For Women movement has been going on since 2004. This year’s event will be held in Scottsdale. Thompson is also the 2022 chair of the America Heart Association’s Inspi(RED) committee.
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