Women and heart disease – biology or bias?

This talk will focus on women and heart disease, and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), and discussions around the biology and bias in the management of women and heart disease.

In addition to this, Dr Al-Hussaini will present an overview of commonly recognised, yet under-diagnosed spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and share the best practice on how to manage these patients within primary care, when to refer and what specialist services there are across the UK.

• Outline the incidence and prevalence of heart disease in women.
• Discussion of high mortality in women with heart disease and possible causes.
• Understanding the impact of biology and bias for this patient group.
• SCAD overview and common causes of acute coronary syndromes in young women, which is often under-diagnosed.
• Specialist services and clinics available to primary care.

Dr Abtehale Al-Hussaini is a consultant general and interventional cardiologist. She subspecialises in women and heart disease and runs one of the only specialist SCAD clinics in the UK. As an interventionist, she performs complex PCI cases and supports a busy primary PCI service.

Her main academic interest is in SCAD, aortopathy and HIV and cardiac disease, where she set up the only combined cardiology-HIV clinical service in London. Her passion to her work is also shown in Dr Al-Hussaini’s interest in researching the use of remote monitoring and biosensors for Covid-19 patients and to collaborate with international partners.

Learn more about Dr Al-Hussaini, her clinical interests and research and teaching experience.