Beverly Hills cardiologist Arash Bereliani, MD, FACC, has released a new book, "What About Her Heart," 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 the cardiac symptoms most 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 board-certified cardiologist with fellowship status from the American College of Cardiology, wrote the book 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, 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 family members and caregivers. 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 that women experience, including differences in how the condition progresses and responds to treatment 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."
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. Dr. Bereliani has practiced interventional and preventive cardiology in Beverly Hills for more than two decades and has contributed to patient education initiatives centered on cardiovascular risk reduction. The release of "What About Her Heart" carries that work outside the clinical setting and into a format designed for wider public access.
The book is available now in ebook format on Amazon. For more information, visit the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology & Preventive Medicine.
