Women’s Heart Centres: The ESC Consensus on Organized, Sex-Sensitive Cardiovascular Care

Introduction and Context

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women worldwide, yet women face persistent disparities in recognition, diagnosis, treatment and research representation. On 3 August 2026, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the Heart Failure Association (HFA) and the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published a clinical consensus statement proposing a structured model for Women’s Heart Centres (WHCs). The paper (Grapsa et al., European Heart Journal 2026) sets out a practical, scalable framework for delivering multidisciplinary, sex-sensitive cardiovascular care across the life course.

This consensus was prompted by several clinical gaps: underdiagnosis of ischemic heart disease in women (including MINOCA), increasing numbers of women surviving cancer with cardiovascular risk, unique pregnancy-related cardiovascular needs, and a fragmented approach to autoimmune diseases and mental health that influence cardiac outcomes. The statement responds to new imaging capabilities, growing cardio-oncology evidence, and stronger data supporting integrated, patient-centred models of care.

New Guideline Highlights

Major themes of the consensus:
– WHCs should be hub-and-spoke reference networks embedded within existing cardiovascular systems, not stand-alone islands. Hubs provide specialized diagnostics, advanced imaging and tertiary care; spokes enable local access, primary care integration and rehabilitation.
– Delivery of multidisciplinary, life-course care: key domains are ischemia and MINOCA, cardio‑obstetrics, cardio-oncology, autoimmune disease, mental health, heart failure and tailored cardiac rehabilitation.
– Standardized referral pathways, core operational standards, and defined training competencies in women’s cardiovascular health.
– Scalable implementation models adapted to local resources, with strong emphasis on telemedicine, quality improvement, and research/registry participation.

Key takeaways for clinicians:
– Recognize when to refer to a WHC: atypical ischemia in younger women, pregnancy-related cardiovascular complications, cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity risk or early signs, autoimmune disease patients with cardiovascular risk, or persistent symptoms after apparently “normal” coronary angiography.
– Use sex-sensitive diagnostic algorithms—e.g., systematic use of coronary physiology, intracoronary imaging and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in suspected MINOCA.
– Embed cardio-obstetrics and cardio-oncology pathways within the WHC with predefined surveillance schedules and management thresholds.

Updated Recommendations and Key Changes from Prior Guidance

The 2026 consensus builds on earlier specialty guidance (for example ESC pregnancy guidelines 2018 and ESC cardio‑oncology guidance 2022) but provides novel, organizational-level recommendations:
– From single-topic recommendations to an integrated service model: prior guidelines focused on disease-specific management; the 2026 consensus prescribes how services should be organized, staffed and networked.
– New operational standards: defined core services (imaging, acute chest pain pathways, cardio‑obstetrics clinics, etc.), advanced services (intracoronary imaging/physiology, CMR with stress protocols, endomyocardial biopsy capability where relevant), and minimum data capture for quality metrics.
– Formal training competencies: the statement proposes core and advanced competency lists for clinicians and allied health professionals working in WHCs—this is one of the first European statements to recommend structured training content specific to women’s cardiovascular health.
– Emphasis on digital health: telemedicine and remote monitoring are elevated from optional adjuncts to core strategies for equitable access.

Evidence driving updates: advancing noninvasive and invasive imaging has improved diagnostic precision in MINOCA and myocardial diseases; growing cardio-oncology trial data supports early surveillance and cardioprotective strategies; and observational data suggest integrated women-focused clinics improve risk-factor control and patient-reported outcomes, though long-term hard-outcome RCT evidence remains limited.

Topic-by-Topic Recommendations

The consensus does not use a formal GRADE table for every recommendation; instead it provides pragmatic, graded operational recommendations (essential, recommended, optional) based on available evidence and expert consensus.

Organizational model (hub-and-spoke)
– Essential: Each WHC hub should provide multidisciplinary clinics (cardiology, obstetrics, oncology liaison, rheumatology liaison, mental health), advanced imaging (CMR, CT coronary angiography), and access to invasive physiology and intracoronary imaging.
– Recommended: Formalized referral pathways with primary care and emergency departments; telemedicine links with spokes; participation in national/international registries.

Core clinical services
– Ischemia and MINOCA:
– Recommended diagnostic pathway: coronary angiography to exclude obstructive CAD, routine use of intracoronary imaging (OCT/IVUS) when plaque disruption suspected, vasospasm provocation and microvascular testing where available, and systematic CMR (ideally within 1–4 weeks) to differentiate infarction, myocarditis and takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
– Management: cause-specific therapy (antiplatelet/statin for plaque rupture, vasodilators for vasospasm, heart failure therapy for myocardial injury) and individualized secondary prevention. WHC should ensure pathways for psychological support in takotsubo and MINOCA patients.

– Cardio‑obstetrics:
– Essential: Preconception counseling for women with cardiac disease or high cardiovascular risk; risk stratification using modified WHO classification and individualized pregnancy plans co‑managed with obstetric specialists.
– Recommended: Dedicated pregnancy heart clinics, BP targets and medication plans (avoid ACEi/ARB and many statins during pregnancy), postpartum follow-up at 3–6 months and lifetime cardiovascular risk surveillance.

– Cardio‑oncology:
– Recommended baseline cardiovascular risk assessment before potentially cardiotoxic therapy, structured surveillance (biomarkers—troponin and natriuretic peptides—and imaging [echo with strain; CMR as indicated]) during and after therapy per ESC cardio-oncology guidance 2022.
– Consider prophylactic cardioprotective therapy (beta-blocker, ACEi/ARB) in high-risk patients, and early cardiology involvement for declines in LVEF or rising biomarkers.

– Autoimmune disease and accelerated atherosclerosis:
– Recommended cardiovascular risk screening in systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases; WHCs should coordinate with rheumatology to optimize disease control and manage traditional risk factors aggressively.

– Mental health and functional syndromes:
– Essential: Screening for depression, anxiety and health-related quality-of-life issues as part of the WHC intake; integration of psychology or psychiatry in the multidisciplinary team.

– Cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention:
– Recommended sex-tailored cardiac rehabilitation programs addressing functional recovery, psychosocial support, sexual health and reproductive counseling.

Training and competency
– Core competencies for WHC clinicians include sex-specific presentation recognition, MINOCA diagnostic algorithms, cardio-obstetrics basics and familiarity with cardio-oncology surveillance protocols.
– Advanced competencies for hub clinicians include proficiency in intracoronary imaging interpretation, CMR reporting for myocardial disease, and complex peripartum cardiomyopathy management.

Quality metrics and research
– Recommended minimum dataset: time to diagnosis in MINOCA, rates of appropriate CMR use, BP and lipid control rates, cardio‑obstetric maternal and fetal outcomes, cardio‑oncology surveillance adherence, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
– WHCs should participate in multicentre registries and pragmatic trials to build evidence on long-term outcomes.

Expert Commentary and Insights

The writing committee emphasizes that WHCs are an organizational solution to systemic inequities rather than a cure-all. Key expert perspectives include:
– Consensus view: A networked, multidisciplinary approach improves diagnostic precision and patient experience and likely enhances risk-factor control and PROMs; the panel argues that this structure is the most pragmatic way to implement multiple specialty recommendations in real-world practice.
– Controversies: Resource allocation is a major concern—critics argue that creating specialized centers risks fragmenting care or diverting resources from primary prevention. The panel counters that WHCs should be embedded within, and support, general cardiology and primary care rather than replace them.
– Evidence gaps: Long-term randomized trial data on hard outcomes (e.g., mortality) are scarce. The group prioritized generating registry-based evidence and comparative effectiveness studies as a next step.
– Training debate: Some experts call for formal certification in women’s cardiovascular health; the consensus suggests staged competency frameworks initially while formal curricula are developed.

Practical Implications

For clinicians:
– Be proactive in referring women with atypical chest pain, pregnancy-related symptoms, or cancer therapy exposures to a WHC or to clinicians with sex-specific expertise.
– Use diagnostic pathways recommended for MINOCA: early CMR and, when appropriate, intracoronary imaging and physiological testing to identify mechanism and guide therapy.
– Integrate mental health screening and reproductive counseling into routine cardiovascular care.

For health systems:
– Consider starting with a modest hub that offers multidisciplinary clinics, CMR access and structured referral pathways; use telemedicine to extend reach to spokes and community clinics.
– Adopt the proposed minimum dataset for quality improvement and research participation to build the evidence base.

Patient impact:
– Early observational data and program reports suggest WHCs improve diagnostic clarity, adherence to secondary prevention and patient satisfaction. The consensus projects these improvements will translate into reduced disparities and better long-term cardiovascular health for women, though definitive outcome data are awaited.

Vignette: Applying the Consensus in Clinic

Patient: Sarah, a 42-year-old schoolteacher with chest pain and a normal coronary angiogram.
– Standard ED workup excluded obstructive coronary disease. Under the WHC pathway, Sarah was referred for CMR within 10 days, which revealed subendocardial late gadolinium enhancement consistent with infarction. Intracoronary OCT at the time of angiography had been deferred—on review the WHC recommended adding intracoronary imaging at first angiography when feasible. Sarah was started on secondary prevention (statin, antiplatelet) tailored to the mechanism and enrolled in a sex-specific cardiac rehabilitation program with integrated psychological support. This pathway illustrates faster mechanistic diagnosis, targeted therapy and coordinated rehabilitation—core aims of the consensus.

Future Directions and Research Needs

Key research priorities identified by the panel:
– Prospective registries to document long-term outcomes of WHC care compared with usual care.
– Randomized or pragmatic trials testing specific WHC components (e.g., routine CMR in MINOCA; structured cardio-obstetric clinics) on hard endpoints.
– Cost-effectiveness analyses of hub-and-spoke models and telemedicine integration.
– Development and validation of training curricula and certification pathways in women’s cardiovascular health.

References

1. Grapsa J, Almeida AG, Sambola A, et al. Women’s heart centres: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), and the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the ESC. European Heart Journal. 2026 Aug 3;47(29):3889-3904. PMID: 42189053.
2. Regitz‑Zagrosek V, Roos‑Hesselink JW, Bauersachs J, et al. 2018 ESC Guidelines for the management of cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy. European Heart Journal. 2018;39(34):3165–3241.
3. Lyon AR, Dent S, Stanway S, et al. 2022 ESC Guidelines on cardio-oncology: from prevention to surveillance and management. European Heart Journal. 2022;43:XXXX–XXXX. (ESC cardio-oncology guideline documents and associated expert consensus statements).
4. Mehta LS, Beckie TM, DeVon HA, et al. Acute myocardial infarction in women: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016;133:e… (AHA statement addressing sex-specific presentation and care gaps).

(Note: readers should refer to the full Grapsa et al. 2026 consensus document for detailed operational checklists, proposed competency lists and downloadable referral templates.)

Conclusion

The 2026 ESC clinical consensus on Women’s Heart Centres offers a practical, multidisciplinary blueprint to reduce sex-based disparities in cardiovascular care. By defining organizational models, diagnostic pathways, training competencies and research priorities, the statement provides a roadmap for clinicians and health systems to deliver more precise, person-centred cardiovascular care for women. Implementation will require tailored local strategies, investment in multidisciplinary teams and a commitment to building the evidence base through registries and trials.