Comprehensive Centers of Excellence for Women’s Cardiovascular Care: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Abstract

Improving cardiovascular health in women is an urgent public health priority given the persistent and pervasive gaps in awareness, prevention, and management of cardiovascular disease in this population. Advances in scientific understanding have led to increased recognition of female-specific considerations in cardiovascular disease, which informed the development of the Female Life Stage construct by the American Heart Association in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. This construct integrates assessment of hormonal, psychosocial, and cardiovascular health across life stages. However, gaps remain in operationalizing this construct and optimizing the delivery of patient-centered, interdisciplinary care among women. Over the past several decades, women's cardiovascular centers have emerged as leaders, expanded rapidly, and elevated the recognition of cardiovascular diseases that exclusively, disproportionately, or differently affect women (eg, myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, Takotsubo syndrome). In this science advisory, we describe the current landscape of women's cardiovascular centers and propose a national infrastructure to support the expansion of dedicated Comprehensive Centers of Excellence for Women's Cardiovascular Care. These centers are conceptualized as interdisciplinary care models comprising 4 defining pillars: interdisciplinary clinical care, education and training, research, and community engagement. By establishing integrated pathways that span clinical disciplines, these centers can reduce fragmentation, enhance earlier risk identification, and expand opportunities to increase representation of women in clinical research. In doing so, they offer a bold opportunity for a scalable and equitable model to improve cardiovascular health for all women.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Circulation, 2026 · DOI ↗