WATCH: Health First Cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell Discusses Women and Heart Disease, ‘The Silent Epidemic’

Despite medical advancements, women remain undertreated and underserved

WATCH: Dr. Kevin R. Campbell, MD, FACC, cardiologist at Health First, passionately advocates for women’s heart health, raising awareness about the disparities in care that contribute to heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women. (WESH 2 image)

Health First cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell says women must be their own strongest advocates—and champions for those around them.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Heart disease has long been viewed as a man’s disease. But the truth is, it’s the leading cause of death among women—claiming more lives than cancer, Alzheimer’s, and accidents combined.

Despite medical advancements, women remain undertreated and underserved, with approximately 43 million currently living with cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Kevin Campbell, a cardiologist at Health First and Fleet Surgeon at Eau Gallie Yacht Club has dedicated years to raising awareness about the disparities in care that women face. At a recent event, Campbell spoke candidly about why women are more vulnerable and what must be done to change the narrative.

“Heart disease does not discriminate,” Campbell stated.

“The gender disparity is not in the number of cases, but in the number of deaths. Roughly the same number of men and women develop heart disease, yet more women die from it.” Every minute, heart disease takes the life of a woman—more than Alzheimer’s, cancer, and accidents combined. It accounts for 1 in 3 female deaths each year.

One of the key problems is that women often do not experience the textbook symptoms of a heart attack. “Women don’t always have the crushing chest pain, the pain down their arm, or into their neck and jaw,” Campbell explained. “Instead, they might have feelings of dread, anxiety, or just a sense that something isn’t right.”

 

Another crucial issue is that women tend to present much later in the disease process. While men typically seek medical attention in their fifties, women often do not receive a diagnosis until their seventies or eighties, when their disease has already progressed significantly.

“By the time we see them, their blood vessels are more significantly diseased. Women, in general, have smaller more diffusely diseased coronary arteries as compared to men, making it much harder to treat,” Campbell said. “They often need multiple stents or bypass surgery, and sometimes we can’t even do that because things are too far gone.”

The reasons for delayed diagnosis are complex and many women may not realize the severity of their condition. Additionally, historical biases in clinical research have played a role. “Most of the major clinical trials on heart disease were conducted primarily on men,” Campbell noted. “For years, we just assumed that whatever worked for men would work for women. But we now know that isn’t always the case.”

Recognizing the signs of heart disease is crucial, but prevention is just as important. Understanding and managing risk factors is one of the most effective ways to prevent heart disease. Campbell emphasized that while some risk factors are unchangeable, many can be modified with lifestyle changes and medical interventions.

“The five major risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol.,” he explained while adding metabolic syndrome as an additional factor. “Family history and genetics also play a role, but those are things we can’t control.”

One of the most important steps women can take is to advocate for themselves. “If something doesn’t feel right, speak up,” Campbell urged.

Bringing a family member or friend to medical appointments can also be beneficial, ensuring that concerns are taken seriously and that important details aren’t overlooked.

“No matter if you are a man or woman, our job is to advocate for one another,” Campbell reinforced.

When it comes to diagnosing heart disease, selecting the right test is crucial. “Some diagnostic tests that work well for men aren’t as accurate for women,” Campbell explained. “For example, standard stress tests can be less reliable in women, especially if they are overweight or have larger breast tissue, which can interfere with imaging.”

Fortunately, newer diagnostic tools have improved the ability to detect heart disease in women. Cardiac PET scans and stress echocardiograms provide more accurate results, helping physicians make better treatment decisions. “It’s about picking the right test for the right patient at the right time,” Campbell emphasized.

Once diagnosed, treatment should be aggressive.

“For years, we treated women less aggressively than men because we were worried about complications,” he said. “But what we’ve learned is that women actually benefit more from aggressive interventions like early catheterization and intervention. They need to be treated just as aggressively as men, if not more.”

Medications also play a vital role in heart disease management.

“There are four drugs that have been proven to reduce mortality in heart disease patients,” Campbell stated. “Aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors (or ARBs), and statins. If you’ve had a heart attack, you should be on all four.”

For years, daily baby aspirin was believed to be a preventive measure for heart health, but recent research challenges that notion.

A major meta-analysis published four years ago, involving over 250,000 patients, found that in individuals without heart disease, the risks of daily aspirin—such as bleeding in the brain and gut—outweighed the benefits.

“The only people who should be on an aspirin are people with known disease,” Campbell emphasized. If you’ve had a heart attack, aspirin remains a crucial medication, but for the healthy, it may do more harm than good.

Statins, in particular, have been the subject of misinformation.

“There’s a lot of bad press out there about statins, but the reality is they are life-saving drugs,” he said. “We’ve done studies where we’ve literally watched plaques in arteries shrink in patients taking statins.”

Campbell stressed that the key to improving outcomes for women is education and empowerment. “Women need to know their risk factors, understand their symptoms, and demand better care,” he said. “And the people who love them need to advocate for them, too.”

He also emphasized the importance of finding the right healthcare provider.

“If your doctor isn’t listening to you, if they’re dismissing your symptoms, find someone else. You deserve to be heard and treated properly.”

Finally, he urged both men and women to take proactive steps to maintain heart health. “Quit smoking, manage your blood pressure, keep your cholesterol in check, exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet,” he advised. “But remember, it’s not about perfection, it’s about making small, sustainable changes. Everything in moderation.”

Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of women, but knowledge is power. By raising awareness, demanding better care, and making heart health a priority, we can change the narrative.

Dr. Campbell’s advice is simple: ‘Fight for yourself. Fight for the women in your life. And don’t stop until you get the care you deserve.

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