Experts call for women's heart centers to tackle inequality in diagnosis and care

by European Society of Cardiology

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

Sadie Harley

Scientific Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process

Andrew Zinin

Lead Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

proofread

The GIST Add as preferred source

Women are more likely to face delays in diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and, as a result, they are more likely to die or develop more serious illness. To address this inequality, Europe needs dedicated women's heart centers, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal.

The report brings together the results of research on cardiovascular disease in women and how best to improve diagnosis and care. It also details how women's health centers should be set up and run to have the biggest impact.

A group of international experts led by Dr. Julia Grapsa authored the clinical consensus statement on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Grapsa is a former chair of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging's gender and equity group. She practiced in Europe for 20 years and is now based at the Mass General Brigham Heart & Vascular Institute, Boston, U.S.

Dr. Grapsa said, "Heart disease kills more women than any other condition—three in ten women globally—yet it remains critically underdiagnosed and undertreated. Women's symptoms are missed, they are less likely to receive guideline-recommended treatments, and they are underrepresented in the clinical trials that shape medical practice.

"Women also face unique heart disease triggers that men do not, including pregnancy complications, early menopause and autoimmune diseases, which are routinely overlooked in standard risk assessments. Closing these gaps is not just a matter of equity but a matter of appropriateness of care."

The report highlights the positive impact of existing women's heart centers in North America and centers or programs in some European countries, including Switzerland, Germany and the UK. Evidence suggests that these centers and programs can improve diagnosis, reduce symptoms and enhance quality of life for women with cardiovascular disease.

For example, a center in Canada has been able to pinpoint a diagnosis in over 70% of women with previously unexplained cardiac symptoms, resulting in fewer hospital admissions over the following three years.

The report's authors say that women's heart centers should act as hubs within existing cardiovascular care facilities, providing leadership, advanced diagnostics, expert consultation, research coordination and education.

Most women will continue to receive diagnosis, treatment and monitoring from their GP/family doctor and at general cardiology clinics. However, patients should be seen in women's heart centers if, for example, they suffer with heart attacks, angina or reduced blood flow to the heart where traditional imaging techniques have failed to identify major blockages (myocardial infarction, persistent angina or ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries). These conditions are often underdiagnosed and disproportionately affect women.

Women's heart centers would also care for pregnant women with cardiovascular complications, such as preeclampsia, and women with cardiovascular conditions linked to menopause.

The authors caution that the centers do not negate the need for better understanding of women's cardiovascular health among all cardiologists.

Instead, they say the medical curriculum should include fundamental knowledge on women's cardiovascular health and advanced knowledge for clinicians working in women's heart centers.

Finally, they say that there should be continuous auditing of women's heart centers, so that data can be used to show the impact of the centers to ensure their funding is secure, for research and to make improvements where needed.

Co-author, Dr. Martha Gulati, director of the Davis Women's Heart Center at Houston Methodist, U.S. said, "This clinical consensus statement by the European Society of Cardiology is an important step forward in women's health. It provides a comprehensive, practical framework for how women's heart centers can be created in different European health care systems, as well as detailing how patients should be referred for treatment and what training we need to provide for doctors in this area.

"We still need much more research on the best ways to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease in women, but these centers will ensure that this type of research can flourish. I think we can look forward to much better care for women in the future."

Associate Professor Maria Rubini Gimenez from the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research in Madrid is Chair of the European Society of Cardiology's Gender Task Force and was not an author of the paper.

She said, "Women's cardiovascular health has been recognized as a public health priority by the European Union. This paper sets out how we can move from recognition to reality by creating women's heart centers that are embedded in existing national health care systems.

"These recommendations should mean that women will receive care that is better suited to their needs, rather than being based around the male template that has dominated medicine and research for decades."

Publication details

Women's Heart Centres: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), and the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the ESC, European Heart Journal (2026). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag350

Journal information: European Heart Journal

Key medical concepts

Cardiovascular DiseasesMyocardial infarctionPreeclampsia

Clinical categories

CardiologyWomen's healthCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by European Society of Cardiology Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

Citation: Experts call for women's heart centers to tackle inequality in diagnosis and care (2026, May 25) retrieved 25 May 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-experts-women-heart-centers-tackle.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.