But after the medication he prescribed failed to relieve her pain, Ms. Werner's doctor referred her to Susan Tiukinhoy MD, a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial. After exercising, abnormalities in the walls of her heart finally became visible on the ultrasound. This suggested arteriosclerosis, or plaque formation, in the blood vessels to her heart. That same day, Ms. Werner underwent an angioplasty, a procedure in which a balloon attached to a catheter is threaded into the coronary arteries and inflated to clear the blockages. But this is not the case for many women.
Women also can be more difficult to diagnose.
Because of these limitations, doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital often use more sensitive imaging tests for patients who may be more difficult to diagnose. Two frequently used exams are the stress echocardiogram and the stress thallium tests. Both tests allow physicians to compare images of the heart before and after exercise. A special camera produces images of the heart to give the doctor important, detailed information on heart size, pumping action and blood supply. Doctors at Northwestern Memorial also take their female patients seriously.