Cardiothoracic Duo at PVHMC Say, “Women, Listen to Your Heart”

In honor of February American Heart Health Month and National Women’s Physician Day, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) is celebrating the work of two female cardiothoracic surgeons, Christine Montesa, M.D. and Dongning Zhang, MD, MPH, who are dedicated to fighting heart disease, especially among women.

Dr. Montesa and Dr. Zhang are part of the less than 7% of cardiothoracic surgeons in the nation who are women, and both are dedicated to improving awareness on how heart disease symptoms can be experienced differently by women.

Did you know approximately one in every three female deaths in the United States are from heart disease? Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In addition to their clinical work in women’s cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Montesa and Dr. Zhang are participating in the ROMA: Women, a worldwide study examining the effectiveness of two kinds of heart bypass procedures in women. Doctors across the world have enrolled more than 2,000 women to research potential advantages of a multi-arterial procedure compared to a single arterial graft in coronary bypass surgery.

“Women have been largely underrepresented in cardiology and this clinical trial will give us important insight to determine the most effective bypass surgical procedure,” explains Dr. Zhang.

Dr. Zhang and Dr. Montesa stress these differences between men and women for heart episodes:

• Women may experience symptoms beyond the classic chest pain, such as nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, upper back or jaw pain, and stomach discomfort.
• Women are more likely to have "silent" heart attacks, meaning they may not recognize the signs or may experience milder symptoms that are mistaken for stress, indigestion or the flu.
• Instead of large, obstructive plaques in major arteries (as commonly seen in men), women often develop microvascular disease, where smaller arteries are affected, making it harder to detect blockages with standard tests.
• Estrogen provides some protection against heart disease before menopause, but after menopause, the risk increases sharply, and symptoms may change due to fluctuating hormone levels.
• Women are more prone to stress-related heart conditions like Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also called broken heart syndrome), which mimics a heart attack and is often triggered by extreme emotional distress.

“It’s important for women to have their annual health appointment and get their blood work and vitals checked to be proactive in recognizing heart disease symptoms,” stresses Dr. Montesa. “We want more women to listen to their heart and take control of their health.”