Women’s Heart Program

The Magee-Womens Heart Program — part of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute — provides complete diagnostics, assessments, and treatment of heart disease in women.

We recognize that women have different risks, lifestyle factors, and biology than men. This means we tailor our prevention and treatment plans based on a woman's distinct needs.

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About the Women's Heart Program

Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America.

It has been under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed in women for years.

At the Magee-Womens Heart Program, we take a team approach to assess, diagnose, and treat each woman based on her individual needs.

We also provide ongoing education and support to help women manage their risk factors and make healthy lifestyle choices.

Heart disease symptoms in women

Women often ignore signs of heart disease because they're busy caring for others. Or, they might not realize what they're feeling is a symptom of a heart problem.

Some symptoms of heart problems in women can include:

Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Fluttering in the chest (also called heart palpitations)
Fatigue, or feeling very tired
Coughing, especially a dry cough
Anxiety
Swelling of your feet or ankles
Fast weight gain

Heart attack symptoms in women

The symptoms of a heart attack can differ for women than for men. Women don’t always have classic symptoms, like chest pain, arm pain, and shortness of breath.

Heart attack symptoms in women might be less dramatic, and can include:

Pressure or pain in the chest that comes and goes
Sweating
Nausea
Dizziness or light-headedness
Pain in the jaw, arm, or back

If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911 right away.

In the news

Hear from our program experts in the following interviews and articles.

Women's Heart Program Diagnostic and Treatment Services

The Magee-Women Heart Program offers innovative assessments, diagnostics, and treatment to meet each woman’s unique needs.

Risk assessments for heart disease

Risk management plays a crucial part in preventing and treating heart disease in women.

Our experts offer risk assessments to help you identify and understand your risks, such as:

Lifestyle factors like diet, physical activity, smoking, and stress.
Health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and pregnancy-related conditions like gestational hypertension and diabetes.
Prior medications and treatments like hormone replacement therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Family history of heart disease.

Diagnostic services

To assess risk and diagnose heart disease, our experts use proven methods and the latest technology, including:

Cardiac catheterization
Cardiac ultrasound
Cardiac stress testing, including ultrasound, nuclear, and MRI modalities
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Coronary computed tomography (CT) scan
Echocardiography
Electrocardiograms (EKGs)
Electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) scan
Holter and event monitors
Pre-surgery cardiac clearance

Heart disease treatment options for women

Our experts provide cutting-edge nonsurgical and surgical treatments based on your needs.

Heart disease treatments include:

Lifestyle changes.
Medical management.
Catheter-based procedures, like angioplasty and stenting.
Open and minimally invasive heart surgery.

Heart disease education and research

In our program, women can receive ongoing education to help lower their risk factors and make healthy lifestyle choices.

We also offer access to clinical trials for new drugs and devices. And our experts conduct ongoing research to gain a better understanding of heart disease in women and to develop new treatments.