New heart program specializes in the unique needs of women.
It’s interesting how people take different paths to the same destination. For cardiologists Laura Gravelin, MD, and Amrita Karve, MD, that destination is the new Mount Carmel Women’s Heart Program. Their paths, however, are as unique as they are. And unique as the women they serve.
Dr. Gravelin originally wanted to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology as a way to focus on women’s health. “Although I discovered that it wasn’t the right fit for me, I still wanted to take care of women,” she said.
“Since cardiac disease is the number-one killer of women, I realized it was a way to serve more women and impact their quality of life and longevity.”
Dr. Karve grew up loving math and physics, and that paved the way for a career in medicine. She’s also passionate about diet, fitness, and exercise, which are important components of heart health. “I enjoyed the science, but I also liked making people feel good about themselves. I wanted to talk about diet and exercise in a non-punitive way,” she said.
The Venn diagram of their careers overlapped at Mount Carmel and the creation of the Mount Carmel Women’s Heart Program — a Mount Carmel Foundationfunded program that’s reimagining women’s cardiovascular care by highlighting and proactively managing the things that are unique and specific to women.
“Cardiovascular disease takes the lives of more women than all cancers combined,” Dr. Gravelin shared. “Unfortunately, women are often unaware of their own risks and of the gender-specific differences in the presentation of heart disease. That’s why, across the population, women are underdiagnosed with heart disease and are less likely to be offered guideline-recommended therapy compared with men.”
Among the non-traditional risk factors that can be unique to women are autoimmune disease, breast cancer treatment, and pregnancy complications.
“Women can also present differently than men when it comes to heart attacks,” Dr. Karve added. “By focusing on the whole person, especially on prevention of heart disease, our program is striving to reduce that gender gap in diagnosis and treatment.”
The program seeks to inform and educate women about the seriousness of heart disease, drawing special attention to specific cardiovascular needs, like timely diagnosis and guideline-directed treatment. It also offers preventive care that goes well beyond basic risk factors.
“We work with our patients to understand and account for all the risks that may contribute to heart disease during their lifetime — from obstetric and gynecologic history, cancer history, and hormone replacement therapy to everyday issues like stress and sleep,” said Dr. Gravelin. “We want to empower them in every way possible to take control of their heart health.”
They provide that in-depth care in a warm, inviting, female-friendly environment within the Mount Carmel Heart & Vascular Center that’s unlike anything else in the community.
“It’s a place where women can feel safe, comfortable, and heard when talking about their heart, their health, and anything else — without judgement — with an exceptional team of compassionate providers,” said Dr. Karve.
By creating that welcoming, accepting environment, the program’s physicians and staff are working to open the lines of communication, improve the patient experience, and permanently change the historically unisex approach to heart care.
“Women in general are undertreated. They’re less likely to receive therapy or be referred for procedures,” Dr. Gravelin said. “Some things that are specific to women recovering from a heart attack or other heart condition are under-recognized. By being more proactive about managing those things, we’re letting them know we understand them and value their care and well-being. We want them to feel safe and comfortable and know they will be heard and that we will try to guide them.”
Speaking of guidance, the doctors offered some as well.
“It’s important, for women especially, to advocate for yourself,” said Dr. Gravelin. “If you’re not getting the answers you want, speak up. If you feel like you should be seeing a cardiologist, do it.”
Dr. Karve suggests starting small, but starting now.
“It’s always a good time to start attending to your heart health, no matter how young or old you are. Small changes in lifestyle habits can lead to dramatic changes in overall risk reduction.”
They’re also quick to point out how uplifting it is to help other women recover from heart disease and take charge of their health.
“My spirit is lifted when a patient comes in and I can make them feel better,” Dr. Gravelin said.
Dr. Karve is quick to agree. “I’m grateful when a patient comes to me and I have the opportunity to take care of them. I’m grateful for their trust and for the chance to serve.”
When two doctors are on the same page like that, I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise when they wind up in the same place.