Cone Health is opening a new cardiovascular clinic for people who are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or have recently given birth.
The clinic will provide care and counseling to women with heart conditions or at high risk of developing them before, during, and after pregnancy.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women, according to a study by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The risks are even higher for Black women, who have more than double the chance of dying from a pregnancy-related heart issue compared to white or Hispanic women.
Dr. Kardie Tobb, who will lead the new clinic, says early treatment is key.
“Two-thirds of these can really be preventable, with people who have cardiovascular disease," says Tobb. "So I would urge women to speak to their doctors and learn what they can do before they are pregnant, especially if they have cardiometabolic syndromes.”
Tobb advises women with conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity to talk to their doctors about how to manage potential risks.
The new HeartCare Cardiac-Obstetrics Clinic is located at MedCenter for Women in Greensboro, Cone Health's 30,000-square-foot women's health facility that opened last May.