New Book Aims to Close Awareness Gap on Women's Heart Disease Symptoms
Cardiologist Arash Bereliani releases 'What About Her Heart' to educate the public on how heart disease presents differently in women, addressing a critical gap in recognition and timely diagnosis.
Beverly Hills cardiologist Arash Bereliani, MD, FACC, has released a new book titled "What About Her Heart" aimed at closing the public awareness gap around female heart attack signs. The book, available on Amazon, addresses how cardiovascular disease manifests differently in women compared to men, often with symptoms that are less recognized and can lead to delayed treatment.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women in the United States, yet research shows women are less likely than men to recognize their own cardiac symptoms or receive a timely diagnosis. Dr. Bereliani, who is board-certified by the American College of Cardiology, wrote the book to translate clinical realities into accessible language for a general audience. The title draws on his more than two decades of experience in interventional and preventive cardiology at the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology & Preventive Medicine.
"What About Her Heart" covers the full spectrum of cardiovascular risk in women, from early warning signs that are often overlooked to more serious conditions such as congestive heart failure. Rather than focusing on the classic chest-clutching, left-arm-pain narrative commonly associated with male heart attacks, the book highlights symptoms women frequently experience: pressure, nausea, jaw discomfort, fatigue, and shortness of breath. These atypical presentations do not always prompt an immediate emergency response, contributing to worse outcomes.
The book also examines how hormonal changes across a woman's lifespan—including pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause—interact with cardiovascular health and elevate risk in ways that remain underappreciated in routine medical settings. A dedicated section addresses congestive heart failure in women, including differences in progression and treatment response compared to men.
"Women account for nearly half of all heart disease deaths in the U.S. each year, yet the majority of cardiovascular research published before 2000 was conducted primarily on male subjects," said Dr. Bereliani. "This book exists because a woman sitting in a waiting room or talking to her daughter deserves access to the same level of detail I would give a patient in my office."
The publication arrives as cardiologists and patient advocacy organizations have increased calls for public education efforts directed specifically at women, particularly in communities where access to specialist care remains limited. "What About Her Heart" is available now in ebook format on Amazon, extending Dr. Bereliani's patient education initiatives beyond the clinical setting into a format designed for wider public access.