[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2022\/09\/treating-jackies-heart-disease-a-magee-womens-heart-program-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2022\/09\/treating-jackies-heart-disease-a-magee-womens-heart-program-story\/","headline":"Treating Jackie’s Heart Disease: A Magee-Womens Heart Program Story","name":"Treating Jackie’s Heart Disease: A Magee-Womens Heart Program Story","description":"Retired UPMC nurse Jackie Stogoski visited the Magee-Womens Heart Program at UPMC Passavant due to chest pain. Now, she walks 13,000 steps a day.","datePublished":"2022-09-01","dateModified":"2022-08-26","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","name":"Heart and Vascular Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/heart-and-vascular-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/NORTH_HILLS_MONTHLY_INDRAMOHAN_20220808_14_RT-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/NORTH_HILLS_MONTHLY_INDRAMOHAN_20220808_14_RT-1.jpg","height":867,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2022\/09\/treating-jackies-heart-disease-a-magee-womens-heart-program-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Heart and Vascular Health"],"wordCount":849,"articleBody":"Jackie Stogoski, 70, had been dealing with heart disease for more than 20 years when she met Venmathi Indramohan, MD, during a trip to the UPMC Passavant\u2013McCandless emergency department (ED) in 2019. Dr. Indramohan is a cardiologist who sees patients at the Magee-Womens Heart Program at UPMC Passavant. Cardiologist Lydia Davis, MD also sees patients at the program.“I was having chest pain three or four times a week. It was my normal, but I had a crippling fear of dying,” says Jackie, who lives in Gibsonia. “That’s what sent me to the ED. But Dr. Indramohan listened to me, and she paid attention. She asked the right questions to get the right answers.”After reviewing Jackie’s history and records and ordering a heart catheterization (a procedure to evaluate certain heart conditions) that ruled out any major blockage, Dr. Indramohan suggested a change in her medication regimen. “Before she walked out of the room, I asked her if she’d be my doctor,” recalls Jackie, a retired UPMC nurse.Comprehensive Heart CareThe Magee-Womens Heart Program at UPMC Passavant, established as part of the UPMC Magee-Womens Heart Program under the direction of Katie Berlacher, MD, offers complete cardiovascular care for women in every stage of life. It provides services to women who have received a diagnosis of heart disease or who have worrisome symptoms or risk factors. Initial evaluations take place at UPMC Passavant\u2013Cranberry.“Women have a unique biology and risk factors compared to men. They need care tailored to their specific needs,” Dr. Indramohan says. “Being treated in a women’s heart program means that you get attention to problems specifically related to women.”“On their own, the tests we use to diagnose and treat women are no different than what we use for men. But we might order extra tests to screen for risk factors. Diagnosing heart disease earlier makes all the difference.”Jackie’s Complex Heart HistoryDr. Indramohan says Jackie is a “perfect example” of someone who would have benefited from earlier care through the Magee-Womens Heart Program at UPMC Passavant, which is a collaboration between UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital and the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute.“Early diagnosis and treatment are vital to preventing long-term complications,” Dr. Indramohan says.Jackie’s history with heart disease is long and complicated. Diagnosed with a common type of heart disease called coronary artery disease in 1997, she underwent two balloon angioplasty procedures to remove blockages in the arteries leading to her heart.Two years later, she began experiencing odd chest pains at night \u2014 a condition that she determined was unstable angina \u2014 and went on a regimen of cardiac medicines. In addition, Jackie received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2004 and received extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.Over the next decade, she received diagnoses of several more cardiovascular-related conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease. Between 2013 and 2015, she underwent two heart catheterizations and had stents inserted after experiencing a coronary artery blockage and a heart attack. The angina continued to plague her until she met Dr. Indramohan.Cardiac Care Designed for Women“Women are different from men. You can’t treat them the same,” Jackie says. “Dr. Indramohan understands this \u2014 not because she’s a woman, but because she understands women and heart disease. When she adjusted my medication, she truly gave me my life back,” says Jackie, who soon returned to walking and gardening. “I didn’t realize how much I was missing.”Women tend to wait longer than men before getting cardiac care \u2014 in part because their symptoms are so different. When they do seek help, they are often misdiagnosed or treated less aggressively.“Symptoms in women are often more subtle. They don’t have textbook signs like crushing chest or arm pain,” Dr. Indramohan says. “Sometimes, they just don’t feel well or may be out of breath. Or perhaps they can’t climb steps without stopping to rest.”Other heart-related symptoms that are more common in women include:DizzinessFatigueNauseaSweatingDr. Indramohan continues to manage Jackie’s care, addressing her various cardiovascular issues and working closely with her UPMC primary care doctor, Helen Thornton, MD, to ensure she’s on the right medicine regimen. Her kidney function, glucose, and cholesterol levels have all improved. Although she has developed heart failure, Jackie still walks about 26 flights of stairs and 13,000 steps a day.Specialized Women’s Heart Care Close to HomeThe Magee-Womens Heart Program at UPMC Passavant offers women a wide range of assessments, testing, and treatments right in the North Hills, including:Assessment of cardiac risk related to hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation.Diagnostic testing like stress tests, ultrasounds, CT scans, and cardiac catheterizations.Sex-specific risk assessment for heart disease.Treatment of chronic conditions that can lead to heart disease in women, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.“I highly recommend the Magee-Womens Heart Program at UPMC Passavant. They want you better and they’ll keep working to get you there,” Jackie says.To schedule an appointment with the Magee-Womens Heart Program, fill out an online contact form or call 412-748-6484."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2022","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2022\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2022\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Treating Jackie’s Heart Disease: A Magee-Womens Heart Program Story","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2022\/09\/treating-jackies-heart-disease-a-magee-womens-heart-program-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]