Overview

Overview

A Woman's Heart is Different

The Women's Cardiovascular Center provides comprehensive cardiovascular medical care to women, with a special focus on prevention. A multidisciplinary team of providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians and exercise physiologists, has specialized expertise in preventive cardiology, coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, valve disease, vascular disease, pregnancy and heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease is NOT just a man’s disease. Cardiovascular disease is the Number 1 killer of women over age 25 in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity. The death rate from cardiovascular diseases has decreased among men, but continues to increase in women.

Unfortunately, only 1 in 3 women are aware that heart disease is the greatest health problem facing women today. When surveyed, most women believed that cancer was the leading cause of death in women, but cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death for women in America and claims the lives of more women than all forms of cancer combined.

Resources

What We Treat

What We Treat

Complete Care

The Women’s Cardiovascular Center customizes a plan of care to meet your individual needs. Our multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers includes doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, exercise physiologists and others. Our goal is to provide the best care possible to help women prevent and manage heart disease.

the Center offers specialty services for women with :

Why choose Cleveland Clinic for your care?

Our outcomes speak for themselves. Please review our facts and figures and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Our team of health care professionals is world renown in the treatment of cardiovascular disease in men and women. We treat women in our Center from all over the world and more than 31 states.

Our Doctors

Our Doctors

Our Medical Team

  • Leslie Cho, MD, Director of Women’s Cardiovascular Center, Section Head, Preventive Cardiologist, staff interventional cardiologist. Specializes in cardiovascular medicine, internal medicine, interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular disease.
    After graduating from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Cho completed her internship and residency at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Dr. Cho completed her fellowship in cardiology, interventional cardiology and peripheral disease at Cleveland Clinic. Prior to becoming Director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Center, Dr. Cho directed the Interventional Cardiology Research Program at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.
  • Julie Huang, MDspecializes in clinical cardiology and preventive cardiology.
    Huang graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, after which she completed her internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and her fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.

Other Specialties

The Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute's team includes specialists in Electrophysiology (Abnormal Heart Rhythms) and Heart Failure in women.

Nurse Practitioners: Advanced Practice Nurses

Endocrinology

Dietitians

  • Julia Renee Zumpano RD, LD - Nutrition Counseling
  • Katherine Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD - Nutrition Counseling

Exercise Physiologists

For cardiac rehabilitation and exercise prescription, a team of exercise physiologists are available to evaluate functional capacity and develop a personalized exercise plan.

Appointments

Appointments

By Phone

Locally 216.444.9353 or toll-free 800.223.2273, ext. 49353.

Directions

When you make your appointment, ask the administrative assistant for the name of your physician and desk number. You will be told to go to Desk JB-1, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Online

Use our secure online form to submit an appointment request 24/7. We will receive it and follow-up with you as soon as possible.

Physician Referrals

Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (ET):
Locally 216.444.9353 or toll-free 800.223.2273, ext. 49353.

At all other times call Patient Access Services locally 216.444.8302 or toll-free 800.553.5056.

Appointment Information

What to Expect

Whether you are coming from around the corner or around the world, you want to know what to expect before, during and after your visit with us. If you have any questions while reviewing this information, please contact us. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Before your appointment

If you are scheduled at least one week away, you will be asked to send in your records, including medical history, test results and films (such as echocardiogram, ultrasound, chest x-ray, MRI or CT as applicable). All information should be sent in the same package (clearly marked with your name and address) via Airborne Express, Federal Express, or certified U.S. mail (make sure you have a tracking number) to the physician with which you have an appointment. The address to mail your records is:

Women’s Cardiovascular Center
Physician Name
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue, JB - 1
Cleveland, Ohio 44195

If you are scheduled less than one week out, please bring your records and films to your appointment.

When you make your appointment, you will also receive a packet of paperwork which asks you about your risk factors, lifestyle habits, allergies, medications, medical history, symptoms you are having, and history of heart or vascular disease. Please complete the paperwork before your appointment.

On the day of your appointment, please fast for 12-hours prior to your visit (no food or drink, except water) so that any laboratory testing can be performed during your appointment.

Traveling to Cleveland Clinic
When you make your appointment, we would like to make traveling to Cleveland Clinic as easy as possible. Information on travel to the Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

During your appointment

You will meet with a medical assistant who will begin to collect medical history information, medications, allergies, take your measurements, including blood pressure and begin the documentation process.

Tests and Procedures
To evaluate your condition, your health care team will review your medical history, including risk factors for heart disease, lifestyle choices and symptoms.  You will have a physical exam and may need testing such as:

Additional Services
Cleveland Clinic Women's Cardiovascular Center offers a variety of additional services to help women get - and stay - heart healthy.

Exercise/Rehabilitation
Specialized activity programs can help reduce the risk of heart disease as well as help women who currently are being treated for heart disease. We offer:

  • Individual exercise prescriptions
  • Shared exercise classes
  • Cardiac rehabilitation
  • Peripheral arterial disease rehabilitation
  • Heart failure rehabilitation

Nutrition Counseling
A wide range of nutrition services are offered by experienced and specialized registered dietitians, including:

  • One-on-one counseling
  • Diabetes counseling
  • Heart failure counseling
  • Lipid counseling
  • Heart-healthy diet
  • Weight management
  • Virtual visits

Behavioral Services
The following programs are available to help with lifestyle modification:

  • Smoking cessation
  • One-on-one counseling for depression and anxiety related to cardiovascular disease and associated problems

How long will you need to stay at Cleveland Clinic?
To complete all testing, you will need to stay in the Cleveland area for one day.

After your visit

Patients are generally seen back at the Center at three months to one year depending on their medical condition or needs. In between visits, our team of Nurse Practitioners are available to answer your questions and address preventive cardiology issues, as well as other urgent needs.

Research/Resources

Research/Resources

Research For Patients

To improve women’s care for the future, the Women's Cardiovascular Center engages in research efforts that focus on improving outcomes for women with cardiovascular disease.  To learn more or find out if you are able to participate in a study, call 216.445.4522.

Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation Program is a clinical program (outpatient clinic) that utilizes a multidisciplinary team of providers to prevent the occurrence or progression of cardiovascular disease in women. Those who have heart disease or have been treated for heart disease stand to benefit the most. Anyone who wants to lower her risk for heart or vascular disease is a candidate. For additional information, call our toll free number 800.223.1696 (or 800.CCF.1696).

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials (or research studies) help us create the medicine of tomorrow. They provide hope through offering testing of new drugs, new surgical techniques or other treatments before they are widely available.

We can help you access hundreds of clinical trials across all specialty areas. Our new searchable online trials tool makes identifying treatment opportunities easier than ever.

Additional Resources

American Heart Association
American Heart Association National Center
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75231
Phone: 800.AHA.USA1 or 800.242.8721

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
818 18th Street, NW, Suite 930
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202.728.7199

National Women’s Health Information Center
Office on Women's Health
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 712E
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 800.994.WOMAN
TDD: 888.220.5446
Contact form: womenshealth.gov

The Heart Truth - A National Awareness Campaign for Women about Heart Disease
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Health Information Center
Attention: The Heart Truth
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
Phone: 301.592.8573
TTY: 240.629.3255
Email: nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov

American Stroke Association
National Center
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: 888.4.STROKE

United States National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Includes MedlinePlus Health Information, ClinicalTrials.gov and many other links to health information

Heart Health Tips

Heart Health Tips

The Professionals at Cleveland Clinic Women's Cardiovascular Center and Women's Health Center Offer These Tips

  1. Know the facts. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women over age 25 in the United States.
  2. Don’t smoke. Even one or two cigarettes a day dramatically increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious conditions.
  3. Exercise. Just 30 minutes of brisk walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, too.
  4. Manage your weight. Normal body mass index (BMI) ranges from 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. A BMI higher than 27 is considered overweight, while a BMI higher than 30 indicates obesity.
  5. Follow a heart-healthy diet. Eat foods that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat (partially hydrogenated fats). Also eat plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Remember, trans fatty acids are bad fats.
  6. Know your family history and get tested. Ask your doctor about the ultrasensitive C- reactive protein (us-CRP) blood test. Elevated us-CRP levels are related to an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and restenosis of coronary arteries after an interventional procedure.
  7. Manage diabetes. People with diabetes — especially women — have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease because diabetes increases other risk factors, such as elevated cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Keeping diabetes under control is essential in reducing your risk.
  8. Monitor your blood pressure. Normal blood pressure should be below 120/80 mm/Hg. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, the goal is to lower your blood pressure to less than 140/80 mm/Hg. If you have high blood pressure along with diabetes or kidney disease, the blood pressure goal is less than 130/80 mm/Hg. Please ask your doctor what blood pressure level is right for you.
  9. Monitor your cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL. Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dL. LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol, should be under 130 mg/dL for most people. LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL for those with a high risk of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease, such as some patients with diabetes or those who have multiple risk factors. For patients who already have cardiovascular disease, your goal may be less than 70 mg/dL. Please ask your doctor what cholesterol level is right for you.
  10. Know the symptoms of a heart attack. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms for longer than five minutes and they are not relieved by rest or medications: pain or discomfort in the center of the chest or other areas of the upper body, including the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach. Other symptoms can include shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness. Do not delay seeking treatment.