PHYSICIAN HIGHLIGHT

MARTHA GULATI, MD

Davis Women’s Heart Endowed Chair

Director, Davis Women’s Heart Center

Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center

Professor of Cardiology, Weill Cornell Medical College

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING WOMEN’S CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH?

What made me realize this would be my life’s work was a patient I met when I was a medical student. She had accompanied her husband to a physician visit after he had experienced a heart attack. When she mentioned having similar left shoulder pain, her symptoms were attributed to carrying her purse on that side. I met her later that evening when she had a heart attack.

The experience taught me that we often hear and respond to symptoms differently when they come from women. This began my journey to better understand women’s heart health and improve the way we care for women.

Q: WHY IS HEART DISEASE AN UNDERRECOGNIZED THREAT FOR WOMEN?

Heart disease remains the leading killer of women, yet many still do not recognize it as their greatest health threat. Most are far more concerned about breast cancer — even though women are 10 times more likely to die from heart disease.

We’ve done an excellent job raising awareness around breast cancer screening and prevention. What we have not done as effectively is educate women about their hearts. Many women are not receiving appropriate screening, and conversations about cardiovascular risk may not happen during routine medical visits. We are making progress, but we still have a long way to go.

Q: HOW CAN RESEARCH ADDRESS THE GAP IN CARE?

For decades, cardiovascular research focused primarily on men. We often assumed that women were simply smaller versions of men and that therapies, medications and devices would work the same way. We now know there are important biological differences between men and women.

Even much of the early laboratory research that informed cardiovascular discoveries relied only on male specimens. As a result, treatments and interventions were often developed without fully understanding how they affect women. If we want to improve outcomes, women must be included throughout the research process.

Q: WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU SEE FOR ADVANCING WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH AT HOUSTON METHODIST?

Houston Methodist offers extraordinary potential because of its scale, expertise and collaborative culture. We have specialists focused on heart failure, cardio-obstetrics, adult congenital heart disease and many other conditions that affect women throughout their lives. We also have the resources to leverage large datasets, advanced imaging and emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, to better understand women’s cardio-vascular wellness. My hope is that the Davis Women’s Heart Center becomes an international leader in clinical care, research, advocacy and education for women’s heart health.

Q: WHAT ROLE DOES PHILANTHROPY PLAY IN HELPING ACHIEVE THAT VISION?

Philanthropy makes it possible to pursue ideas and research that might otherwise remain unexplored. It helps provide the foundation for discoveries that can ultimately lead to meaningful advances in care. The gift that established the Davis Women’s Heart Center created the opportunity to build something truly transformative for women. Achieving our goals requires community support, and philanthropy is essential to making our vision for improving care and outcomes for women a reality.

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