Cardiovascular Diseases in Minnesota

Women's Heart Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, resulting in approximately 500,000 deaths annually. Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has developed a unique practice, the Women's Heart Clinic, to treat and prevent heart disease while addressing the distinct concerns of women.

Services offered

There are several components included in a visit to the Women's Heart Clinic, including:

Risk assessment

Patients complete a Mayo-developed questionnaire prior to their appointment to pinpoint individual risk factors for heart disease and for other diseases common to women. The risk assessment reports become the basis of each patient's heart disease prevention and treatment plan.

Comprehensive cardiac diagnostic evaluation

Women's Heart Clinic cardiologists first review the patient's medical history and risk assessment report, conduct an initial cardiac exam and then order the necessary diagnostic tests. They may consult other specialists to help develop the most appropriate treatment plan for the patient. At Mayo Clinic, an integrated team of specialists from many areas are often involved in a patient's care.

Risk management

The established risk factors for heart disease are the same for men and women, but there are differences in how strongly they affect women. Women's Heart Clinic staff members understand these differences and help patients and their primary physicians at home manage their heart disease risks.

Education

A health care professional will guide each patient in making healthy lifestyle changes to help prevent or slow the progression of heart disease. Depending on the patient's unique needs, recommendations may include:

• Blood pressure and lipid management strategies
• Personalized exercise prescription
• Healthy eating plan
• Smoking cessation advice
• Stress management techniques

Hormone therapy discussion

Postmenopausal hormone therapy (sometimes called HT) is not currently recommended to prevent or treat heart disease, but many women with heart disease or heart disease risks have menopausal symptoms or concerns about the use of HT for other problems and its effect on the heart. This is an area of intense research and updated recommendations are frequent. Women's Heart Clinic staff helps each patient make careful decisions about this therapy based on symptoms and the latest scientific information.

Coordinated care

Women's Heart Clinic patients have full access to Mayo Clinic's state-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical services for heart disease and other conditions that may be discovered. If necessary, staff will refer patients to other special services including:

• Breast Clinic
• Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Clinic
• Complementary and Integrative Medicine
• Diabetes Clinic
• Gonda Vascular Center
• Gynecology
• Hypertension Clinic
• Nicotine Dependence Counseling
• Nutrition/weight management counseling
• Osteoporosis Clinic
• Patient and Health Education Center
• Sports Cardiology Clinic
• Stress management
• Treatment for depression and anxiety
• Women's Health Clinic (menopause medicine)

Research

The experienced physicians in the Women's Heart Clinic also bring the perspective of clinical researchers. Researchers at Mayo Clinic are actively investigating effective ways to prevent heart disease in women, to evaluate and assess heart disease risk with noninvasive testing and to optimally treat many common cardiac conditions occurring in women.

Other research initiatives include:

• Apical ballooning syndrome
• Coronary microvascular function
• Preeclampsia
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Study of hormone therapy in early menopause (KEEPS or The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study)

Appointments

Women may be referred to the Women's Heart Clinic by their primary physician or may request an appointment without a referral.

To request an appointment, call 507-538-6857, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

Physician staff