Understanding Women's Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women—yet it's still treated like a man’s disease. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Martha Gulati, a cardiologist and pioneer in women’s cardiovascular health, exposes the systemic gaps that leave women underdiagnosed, undertreated, and often unheard. Together, we unpack the critical differences in how heart disease presents in women, why standard diagnostic tools fall short, and what every woman needs to know about risk factors like pregnancy complications, hormone therapy, statin use, and even environmental exposures. Dr. Gulati also reveals the truth behind hormone therapy myths, explains how soft plaque really forms, and why fitness should be considered frontline prevention.

You’ll learn:

• Why women’s heart symptoms are often mistaken for anxiety
• What tests to ask for to asses your risk of heart disease
• How statins, hormone therapy, and fitness interact with risk
• What the new “Prevent" risk score includes—and why it matters
• Why women get more benefits from exercise than men
• How pollution, stress, and pregnancy complications shape long-term risk

Whether you’re in your 20s or postmenopausal, this episode will empower you to take charge of your heart health, ask better questions, and get the care you deserve.

Who is Dr. Martha Gulati?

Dr. Martha Gulati is a professor of cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, where she serves as Director of Prevention and Associate Director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center. She is the immediate past president of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology and previously served as the inaugural Chief of Cardiology at the University of Arizona. A leading voice in women’s heart health, Dr. Gulati chaired the first national chest pain guidelines and is the author of the best-selling book Saving Women’s Hearts.

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Find Dr. Martha Gulati At:

• Website - https://drmarthagulati.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-gulati-9b410496/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drmarthagulati/
• X/Twitter - https://x.com/drmarthagulati
• Cedars-Sinai - https://www.cedars-sinai.org/provider/martha-gulati-2036029.html
• Her book Saving Women's Hearts: https://www.amazon.ca/Saving-Womens-Hearts-Conventional-Strategies/dp/0470678453

Find Me At:

• Instagram:@drgabriellelyon  
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Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro and framing the crisis of heart disease in women

01:27 – Why women’s heart attack symptoms are often missed

04:28 – Why breast cancer awareness eclipsed heart disease awareness

07:01 – The legacy of excluding women from clinical trials

10:35 – The Women's Health Initiative and its impact on heart disease mortality

20:26 – The 3 key blood markers to assess heart disease risk in women

26:29 – Hormone replacement therapy: What went wrong

30:05 – Mythbusting: HRT does not replace statins

41:02 – Soft plaque vs. calcified plaque: what really matters

51:59 – Statins and brain health: separating fact from fiction

56:01 – INOCA: When women have symptoms without artery blockages

1:11:47 – Why “220 minus age” is inaccurate for women’s heart rate training

1:33:11 – Men’s vs. women’s hearts: anatomical and physiological differences

Disclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.