Women prefer female cardiologists for better heart care

According to the U.S. Physician Workforce Data Dashboard, only about 17% of cardiologists are women, ranking as one of the lowest specialties among female physicians, yet heart disease remains the number one killer of women, accounting for one in five female deaths. El Camino Health is innovating a solution to address the unique symptoms and risk factors of heart disease in women.

A new national survey conducted by El Camino Health found women (59%) are much more likely than men (36%) to agree that a doctor of their same gender can relate better to their experiences, concerns and symptoms. But that can be hard to come by for heart care. 

Data shows that women have better outcomes when they are seen by women physicians or providers for their heart health. Therefore, I made it my mission to craft a center where women could feel more comfortable and we could deliver more equitable and quality care."

Jane Lombard, MD, medical director of the Women's Heart Center at El Camino Health

The goal of the Women's Heart Center is not only to listen to women's concerns and symptoms, but to provide specialized care for heart issues that affect women most. This includes preventive care for women with particular risk factors, cardio-metobolic services for heart issues linked to obesity and cardio-obstetrics for heart disease caused or exacerbated by pregnancy.

"Pregnancy is the heart's ultimate stress test, increasing blood volume and relying on the placenta to support it all," Dr. Lombard said. "Women are often unaware of the potentially deadly issues that develop during and after pregnancy, but it can be a major predictor of future heart problems." 

In addition to the scarcity of specialized cardiac care, the survey revealed that heart disease risks in women are drastically under-recognized, with only 19% disagreeing with the statement: Men are more likely to develop heart disease than women.

"Not only is this untrue, but women are also much more likely to exhibit symptoms that vary from those telltale signs we always hear about," Dr. Lombard said. "Rather than the 'elephant sitting on your chest,' many women experience things like jaw or shoulder pain and shortness of breath, so it's important to know those symptoms and advocate for the care they need."

For Margaret Kalb, her family history of heart disease prompted her to proactively see a cardiologist. She turned to the Women's Heart Center for care.

"Even though I was only in my 50s, I felt there was a possibility that something was developing," Kalb said. "I wanted to see a doctor who specializes in women's cardiology and would truly listen to my concerns, someone who wasn't just going to say, 'Oh, you're only in your 50s. You're fine. Come back in ten years,'"

Although she was not experiencing symptoms, testing revealed a major blockage, requiring triple heart bypass surgery.

"I feel Dr. Lombard and her team really took me seriously, and the testing they did saved my life," Kalb said. "Finding a problem and scheduling surgery is a much better situation than having a heart attack and trying to deal with this as an emergency."

Survey methodology:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Ipsos on the KnowledgePanel® from January 17 to 20, 2024, and surveyed 1,024 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample and has margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults.