Key takeaways:

•    Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women.

•    Women are more likely to have undiagnosed and untreated cardiovascular disease.

•    Dedicated women's heart centres are needed to improve diagnosis, treatment and care.

Sophia Antipolis, France – 26 May 2026: 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 in inequality, Europe needs dedicated women’s heart centres, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal [1] today (Tuesday).

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 centres 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, USA. 

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 centres in North America and centres or programmes in some European countries, including Switzerland, Germany and the UK. Evidence suggests that these centres and programmes can improve diagnosis, reduce symptoms and enhance quality of life for women with cardiovascular disease. For example, a centre 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 centres 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 centres 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 centres 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 centres do not negate the need for a 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 centres. 

Finally, they say that there should be continuous auditing of women’s heart centres, so that data can be used to show the impact of the centres 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, USA 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 centres can be created in different European healthcare 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 centres 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 Centre 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 recognised 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 centres that are embedded in existing national healthcare 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.”

ENDS