Women's Cardiovascular Care Symposium: Q&A With Dr. Nandita Scott
In This Article
- Despite progress in recent years, cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in U.S. women
- Traditionally, research and clinical care have failed to focus on sex-specific differences in the heart
- Launched in 2022, The Christ Hospital's annual Women's Cardiovascular Symposium aims to address these disparities in care by increasing awareness and providing education
The 4th Annual Women's Cardiovascular Symposium will take place on Friday, October 3, 2025, at The Summit Hotel in Cincinnati. The Women's Heart Center at The Christ Hospital launched the event in 2022 to address sex-specific differences in cardiovascular care. Mass General Brigham is co-hosting the symposium for the first time this year.
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Nandita S. Scott, MD, director of the Mass General Brigham Women's Heart Health Program, is co-director of the symposium.
Q: Please comment on the urgency of cardiovascular disease in women.
Dr. Scott: Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in women, but historically women have been treated as little men—biological differences between women and men have not been considered. Although we're making progress thanks to awareness, education, and research efforts, cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in women in the United States. It's also the leading cause of death in pregnant women.
Recognizing the importance of sex differences in the cardiovascular system requires consideration of factors such as menopause, pregnancy, and other sex-specific influences on women's heart health. Now that we're increasingly realizing their significance, we can target women's cardiovascular health more strategically. There are also diseases such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) that are more common in women and have been under-researched and underappreciated.
Q: This symposium has been held three times before. Why did Mass General Brigham decide to get involved this year?
Dr. Scott: The Christ Hospital's Dr. Odayme Quesada, the program director, has built a successful symposium that has excellent content with a large reach. While we've held symposiums in the past at Mass General Brigham, we decided that instead of continuing to do duplicative work, it would be better to partner with another leading expert in the field to help make the event even bigger and better.
Q: Can you share any details about the speakers?
Dr. Scott: We've put a lot of thought into the speakers, what topics they'll cover, and what the curriculum will look like. We're going to have some of the world's leading experts on women's cardiovascular health, including a number of speakers from Mass General Brigham.
Q: Beyond Mass General Brigham's involvement, what else is new about this year's symposium?
Dr. Scott: In recognition of the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH), there will be a talk by Dr. Jennifer Mieres on SDOH in cardiovascular disease. There will also be a talk by Dr. Jennifer Sumner on the impacts of mindfulness and mental health on cardiovascular disease. Data suggests that nearly 40% of patients with SCAD have PTSD from the event.
Q: Could you please elaborate on the importance of SDOH in the overall care of a patient?
Dr. Scott: Though SDOH are nonmedical in nature, we're learning more and more about their significance in shaping patient outcomes—including how patients who have poor SDOH have worse cardiovascular outcomes. SDOH are also known to have a direct influence on factors such as economic stability, education, and access to healthcare, safe housing, transportation, healthy food, and social support networks.
Q: Would you like to add anything else about the event?
Dr. Scott: The Summit Hotel is a beautiful venue, and the energy of the symposium—from the participants to the speakers—is truly palpable. It's a remarkable event, and that's exactly why we chose to align ourselves with it.
Registration for the symposium is open. Early-bird pricing (applicable through July 5) ranges from $0 for trainees to $135 for physicians.