Why the need for a gender-specific programme for heart disease? Cardiovascular disease (CVD), namely heart disease and stroke, is the number 1 killer of women in Singapore and in the past few decades of research, profound sex differences in numerous cardiac diseases have been found.
Not only is the CVD death rate amongst young women (aged 35-54) increasing despite an overall decline for men, women aged 85 and above also make up 74% of hospital stays for non-specific chest pains, higher than any other condition examined.
To address this burden of disease on women, the National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS) set up a specialised Women's Heart Health Programme, dedicated to deliver personalised care to women at risk of and living with heart disease.
In the Women's Heart Health Clinic, we work closely with specialists and health professionals from other medical fields to provide a one-stop patient care. The programme is tailored to facilitate seamless multi-disciplinary care for complex cardiac conditions, in partnership with
- On-site health coach
- Occupational therapy
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Rheumatology clinic
- High risk obstetrics clinic
- Menopause clinic
- Cardio-oncology clinic
- Cardiomyopathy clinic
We provide subspecialty management of heart conditions that affect women more than men, with a special focus on risk management, lifestyle modification and prevention of heart disease. Other than preventative heart health, our main focus on specialty conditions include pregnancy and heart disease, cardio-rheumatology, pulmonary hypertension related to connective tissue disease, stress cardiomyopathy, female pattern coronary disease such as non-obstructive coronary disease, and spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
Treatment plans offered involve a personalised, holistic approach with cardiac treatment options and technologies, involving cardiologists from all sub-specialty areas and medical experts from other disciplines.
In addition, this programme offers:
- Cardiovascular risks evaluation to identify risk factors for heart diseases and other common diseases that affect women
- Cardiac diagnostic evaluation with an integrated approach tailored to the unique features of heart diseases in women
- Cardiovascular risk management that encompasses a comprehensive approach of managing cardiovascular risk factors unique to women
- Services with specific emphasis on lifestyle modifications to achieve heart healthy lifestyle including healthy cooking and eating, personalised exercise prescription, stress management, smoking cessation and more
