CARDIOVASCULAR disease remains the leading cause of death in females, yet many continue to face delays in diagnosis, undertreatment, and limited representation in cardiovascular research.
A new European consensus statement has proposed the widespread development of women’s heart centres as a way to address these longstanding inequalities and improve outcomes across the lifespan.
Women’s Heart Centres Designed for Sex-Specific Care
The statement, developed by experts from several European Society of Cardiology associations, outlined a framework for establishing women’s heart centres throughout Europe.
Rather than functioning as standalone facilities, the proposed centres would operate within existing cardiovascular services using a hub-and-spoke model, allowing specialist expertise to be delivered alongside routine cardiac care.
The authors argued that conventional approaches to cardiovascular medicine have often failed to account for important biological and clinical differences between males and females.
As a result, conditions that disproportionately affect females, or present differently in them, may be overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Addressing Unique Cardiovascular Challenges
The proposed women’s heart centres would provide multidisciplinary care for a range of conditions linked to female cardiovascular health.
Key areas of focus include ischaemia and myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries, cardiovascular complications during pregnancy, cancer treatment-related heart disease, autoimmune disorders, mental health, and cardiac rehabilitation.
The centres would also establish clear referral pathways and specialised training programmes to ensure healthcare professionals develop expertise in women’s cardiovascular health.
This approach could help improve diagnostic accuracy and ensure that females receive more personalised care throughout different stages of life.
Expanding Access Through Innovation
Recognising the diversity of healthcare systems across Europe, the authors emphasised that women’s heart centres should be scalable and adaptable.
Integration with primary care services, telemedicine, quality-improvement initiatives, and research programmes were identified as essential components of successful implementation.
The statement also highlighted that specialist centres could serve not only as treatment hubs but also as platforms for education, prevention, and clinical research, helping to generate much-needed evidence in areas where female patients remain underrepresented.
Potential Benefits and Future Directions
Although long-term outcome data remain limited, the available evidence suggests that women’s heart centres may improve diagnostic precision, cardiovascular risk-factor management, and patient-reported outcomes.
The authors concluded that women’s heart centres offer a structured and practical strategy for reducing disparities in cardiovascular care.
By embedding sex-sensitive services within existing healthcare networks, the model could help ensure that females receive more equitable and comprehensive cardiovascular care across Europe.
Reference
Grapsa J et al. Women’s heart centres: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), and the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the ESC. Eur Heart J. 2026;DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehag350.
Featured image: Довидович Михаил on Adobe Stock
