Women’s Cardiovascular Care

Ochsner’s Women’s Cardiovascular Clinic offers a range of services focused on prevention, diagnosis and treatment, including:

• Risk assessments and personalized care plans
• Advanced cardiac testing, including stress tests, calcium scoring and cholesterol screenings
• Preconception counseling for women with heart disease, including women with congenital heart disease  
• Management of heart issues during pregnancy
• Treatment of heart issues that arise as a result of pregnancy
• Care for conditions like arrhythmias, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and stress-induced cardiomyopathy
• Menopause related care for women with heart disease and those at risk for heart disease  
• Counseling for heart-healthy lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise and smoking cessation 

We also offer advanced and specialized programs to meet complex needs: 

• Congenital heart disease care for women planning pregnancy or already pregnant  
• Advanced heart failure and transplant services for women with severe heart disease  
• Cardio-oncology care to protect your heart during and after cancer treatment  
• A recognized menopause center focused on heart health during midlife and beyond

Our team of cardiologists, obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, oncologists and other experts work in close collaboration to deliver personalized care tailored to you. 

The Ochsner Women’s Cardiovascular Clinic counsels and treats women who have heart disease or have significant risk factors for it. We specialize in care at any stage of life. If you are planning a pregnancy, are pregnant, postpartum or navigating menopause, we are here for you.

You should consider a visit if you have:

• A history of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy  
• High cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes or a strong family history of heart disease  
• Symptoms like chest discomfort, unusual shortness of breath or unexplained fatigue  
• A congenital heart condition or prior heart procedure  
• Cancer treatment now or in the past and want to protect your heart health  
• Questions about how menopause affects your heart

At Ochsner Health, we tailor care to the individual. We are steadfast in our mission to improve outcomes for women in Louisiana and across the Gulf South. We study what works, adopt new evidence and keep learning so you receive the most current, effective care possible. 

The Ochsner Women’s Cardiovascular Clinic is led by three fellowship-trained, board-certified cardiologists: Dr. Dominique Williams and Dr. Salima Qamruddin. These dedicated physicians are relentless about giving women what they need to fight back against heart disease. We are here to take care of you and empower you to take care of yourself. At Ochsner, we understand a women’s heart at every age of her life.

Your team at Ochsner will review your medical history, complete a risk assessment, perform an initial cardiac exam, and order diagnostic testing, if needed. Plus, as part of the region’s leading multi-specialty health system, we have access to specialists and subspecialists and can consult with these experts on your behalf. Nutrition, fitness and mental health professionals may all be a part of your care team. 

Meet Our Team

Our team diagnoses, treats, manages and educates our patients on a wide variety of cardiovascular conditions including:

• Primary prevention (Counseling and treatment) for women with multiple cardiac risk factors (Diabetes, hypertension, current smoking, family history of premature heart disease, high cholesterol, presence of autoimmune disease and sedentary lifestyle)
• Arrhythmia (palpitations)
• Chest pain from a blocked heart artery (Angina)
• Chest pain related to microvascular dysfunction and coronary spasm
• Heart complications from high blood pressure during pregnancy (Preeclampsia)
• Heart complications from preexisting heart disease during pregnancy
• Heart complications from prior breast cancer chemotherapy and radiation
• Heart failure during pregnancy (peripartum cardiomyopathy)
• Peripheral artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Menopause
• Presence of inflammatory diseases such as Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Pregnant patients with prior history of heart disease such as born with abnormalities of the heart chambers and valves (i.e. congenital heart disease)
• High blood pressure and DM during pregnancy 

Risk factors of cardiovascular disease in women include:

• High blood pressure
• High LDL cholesterol
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• History of breast cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL)
• Poor diet
• Inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use
• Pregnancy complications
• Menopause  

When a man has a heart attack, he might experience crushing chest pain, cold sweats, nausea, upper body pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness, but none of these may happen in a woman.

A woman might experience pressure in her chest, pain in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach, and shortness of breath without chest discomfort.

It is important to know that these symptoms can take place any time – when you are resting, exercising or in times of stress. It’s also common for women not to have any symptoms at all. Research shows that about 64% of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. When there are symptoms, however, here is what they might mean:

Heart attack

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Upper back pain
• Heartburn/indigestion
• Nausea/vomiting
• Upper body discomfort
• Extreme fatigue
• Shortness of breath

Arrhythmia (heart palpitations)

• A fluttering or racing feeling (tachycardia) in the chest
• A slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
• Sweating
• Fainting or near fainting

Heart failure

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Swelling of the feet/ankles/legs/abdomen

Stroke

• Sudden weakness
• Paralysis
• Numbness of the face/arms/legs (especially on one side of the body)
• Confusion
• Difficulty speaking or understanding
• Vision problems in one or both eyes
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Balance and coordination problems
• Loss of consciousness
• Sudden and severe headache 

At Ochsner, we will help you make healthy lifestyle changes that can go far in preventing or slowing the progression of heart disease. We’ll give you strategies to deal with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, ideas on how to incorporate exercise into your busy schedule, a plan for healthy eating, help to quit smoking – even techniques to deal with stress. We treat the whole woman – not just the disease. 

Women should monitor for symptoms like chest pressure, nausea, pain in the jaw or arms and shortness of breath. Even if these symptoms are subtle or intermittent, they may signal underlying heart issues and should be evaluated by a cardiologist. 

Yes. We specialize in managing heart complications during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, high blood pressure and conditions related to structural heart defects or cardiomyopathy. 

Key risk factors in women include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, menopause and a history of autoimmune diseases or breast cancer treatment. 

We offer a variety of diagnostic tools, such as stress testing, calcium scoring and cholesterol screenings, to evaluate heart health and potential risks. 

Scheduling is easy. Call our clinic directly or book an appointment online at ochsner.org. Our team will guide you through the initial risk assessment and connect you with the care you need.