Women's Heart Disease

Women doctors helping women patients. The Strong Women’s Heart Program was created because a woman’s heart is unique. The director, Dr. Gladys Velarde, is an outspoken proponent of getting the best heart care for women. In fact, this program is so focused on identifying with women and understanding their needs, it is run by an all-woman staff of doctors and nurses. Since this special program is a part of Strong and the University of Rochester Medical Center, it is also able to channel women into research studies that can help them get the very latest treatments, well before they are available in most hospitals.

Research to help women. One of the conditions that leads to heart disease is metabolic syndrome. This is a collection of risk factors that includes being overweight, having slightly elevated blood sugar levels, slightly elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Even further, there are many women with metabolic syndrome, but little research has been done on them. Now, a study being conducted at the Strong Heart & Vascular Center is changing that. Dubbed “The Pink Study,” it is learning whether statin drugs—like Lipitor—can lower the risk factors of metabolic syndrome. The hope is to learn how to decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke in women who have metabolic syndrome.

Helping women right when they need it most. It’s not always easy to get an appointment with the right specialist when you need it. This is why the Strong Women’s Heart Program offers walk-in appointments. Women who believe they may need help with heart-related issues can just stop in and see one of our women’s heart specialists. To find out when walk-in appointments are available, call 1-866-HEART-03.