HEART CENTER - PATIENT INFORMATION

About The Center

Patient Information

Women and Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death of women in the United States. Yet studies show that female patients receive less aggressive cardiac treatment than men, and are referred less frequently for cardiac intervention. At Stony Brook we address these gender-related issues with treatment, research, and education. Our team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and nurses conducts ongoing community and professional education to raise awareness of female-specific factors in heart disease, including: symptom presentation in acute myocardial infarction (only 50 percent of women having a heart attack experience the classic symptom of chest pain radiating to the jaw-women are more likely to feel dizzy or nauseated); coronary heart disease affects women at an older age; there is higher mortality in women after heart surgery or cardiac catheterization; women of certain ethnicities have specific risks (for example, black women have a higher incidence of hypertension). A conventional stress test alone is not sufficient to detect ischemia due to atherosclerosis in women, as there can be nonspecific changes in the EKG that interfere with diagnosis. The Heart Center performs more sensitive stress tests on women (stress imaging-EKG plus nuclear or echocardiogram imaging). read more

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Women, Stroke, and Aspirin

A study co-authored by David L. Brown, M.D., described for the first time a gender-based differential effect of aspirin therapy for primary prevention of cardiac disease. In women, aspirin reduces the risk of strokes but not heart attacks. In men, aspirin reduces the risk of heart attacks but not strokes. While aspirin reduced cardiovascular mortality in both sexes, it also significantly increased the risk of major bleeding episodes in women and men. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has stimulated a new field of research into gender-based differences in responsiveness to aspirin.

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Cardiovascular Disease - Causes & Cures

Working within a world-class research university, the Heart Center's physicianscientists are exploring causes, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Our clinical studies give patients access to the most innovative technologies and cutting-edge services. Basic biomedical research advances at Stony Brook University Medical Center increase knowledge of the heart and how it functions, and is translated into quality medical care. We participate in national and international clinical trials that enable patients to benefit from the latest drugs and therapies. We participated in these recent multicenter trials: RESTOR-MV (Randomized Evaluation of a Surgical Treatment for Off-pump Repair of the Mitral Valve), CHAMPION (Cangrelor vs. Standard Therapy to Achieve Optimal Management of Platelet Inhibition),SOLO (Study of One Lead Defibrillation Efficacy), and CREATE-PAS (Carotid Revascularization with EV3 Arterial Technology Evolution Post-Approval Study).

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