Beverly Hills cardiologist Arash Bereliani, MD, FACC, has released "What About Her Heart," a book focused on how cardiovascular disease presents differently in women. The title, available on Amazon, addresses a documented gap in public understanding of female heart attack signs and how those signs diverge from cardiac symptoms commonly associated with male patients.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, yet studies have consistently found that women are less likely than men to recognize their own cardiac symptoms or receive a timely diagnosis. Dr. Bereliani, a Beverly Hills-based physician with board certification from the American College of Cardiology, wrote "What About Her Heart" to translate that clinical reality into accessible language for a general readership.
The book spans the full range of cardiovascular risk in women, from early warning signs that are frequently overlooked or attributed to unrelated conditions, to the development of more serious diagnoses such as congestive heart failure that women face as a distinct patient population. Rather than defaulting to the chest-clutching, left-arm-pain narrative that shapes much of public perception, the book examines how women often present with pressure, nausea, jaw discomfort, fatigue, and shortness of breath—symptoms that do not always prompt an immediate emergency response.
"What About Her Heart" is structured to serve women seeking to understand their own cardiac risk, as well as the family members and caregivers around them. Dr. Bereliani draws on his clinical background to explain 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 many routine medical settings.
The book also examines women heart attack warning signs that research suggests are underreported during emergency presentations, including atypical discomfort patterns that can contribute to delayed treatment. A dedicated section addresses congestive heart failure as women experience it, including differences in how the condition progresses and responds to treatment when compared to outcomes observed in 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."
"What About Her Heart" is available now on Amazon in ebook format. 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.
