Heart Disease
Heart Disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and worldwide. The disease can manifest as blockages in veins and arteries, disrupted heart rhythms, and more. Though men have historically been the subject of study and attention, women’s unique signs and symptoms have been getting more visibility in recent years. Hadassah Medical Organization is leading the way.
HMO HEALING & RESEARCH:
- A collaboration between Hadassah physicians and colleagues in Montreal has led to the discovery of a gene called ADAMTS19, which causes dangerous heart malformations in children.
- In 2019, for the first time in Israel, a cardiac catheterization was successfully performed on a fragile, premature infant weighing just under two pounds to close a hole in a central blood vessel.
- Studying a large group of people from Israel and France, Hadassah cardiologists identified 28 families with a genetic abnormality that leads to the most common congenital heart malformation: a bicuspid aortic valve. While normal aortic valves have three leaflets, bicuspid valves have only two, resulting in significant cardiac complications.
WOMEN'S HEART HEALTH:
- Prof. Chaim Lotan, immediate past director of HMO’s Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center, pioneered the recognition of the particularity of women’s heart disease and the gender disparities in symptoms, research, and treatment. Today, Hadassah’s Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women, led by Dr. Donna Zfat-Zwas, has undertaken a nationwide campaign to raise the level of awareness among Israeli women about heart disease and the early signs of a heart attack.
- The Pollin Center has initiated community outreach programs in Haredi and Arab neighborhoods to raise awareness about heart disease risks and to empower women to become catalysts for lifestyle changes.
- In the United States, in response to pervasive gender disparities throughout the healthcare system, Hadassah convened the Coalition for Women's Health Equity. Its mission is to create a well-coordinated and unified force to advocate for women’s health equity—from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and cure.
Learn more about Hadassah’s advocacy for Gender Equity in Medicine ›
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