Causes
How We Can Help You
We provide routine to complex care for all types of coronary artery disease (CAD). Stanford’s doctors go beyond just checking for common causes of CAD, such as narrowed or blocked arteries. They also have expertise in harder-to-recognize forms of the disease that require special testing.
Our team offers tests and treatments not widely available, with a comprehensive and innovative approach few programs can match. Whether you arrive with an initial diagnosis or symptoms still awaiting an explanation, our experienced doctors can help.
We primarily treat coronary artery disease through the Stanford Interventional Cardiology Program and the Stanford Preventive Cardiology Program.
What We Offer for Coronary Artery Disease
- Specialized expertise in treating all types of coronary artery disease
- Advanced treatment options, from outpatient angioplasty to minimally invasive valve repair or replacement.
- Clinical trials offering early access to new treatment options,
- Team-based approach with different specialties coming together to provide personalized care.
- Comprehensive support for you and your family, from stress reduction to care coordination so you can focus on healing
ACCESS TO EXPERTISE IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
Through our network of Stanford Medicine affiliated doctors, we offer convenient access to cardiology care beyond our Palo Alto campus. This partnership with Stanford Health Care extends our commitment to world-class care, state-of-the-art technology and advanced treatments, right where you live and work. View Stanford Medicine affiliated practices
INTERESTED IN AN ONLINE SECOND OPINION?
The Stanford Medicine Online Second Opinion program offers you easy access to our world-class doctors. It’s all done remotely, and you don’t have to visit our hospital or one of our clinics for this service. You don’t even need to leave home!
Visit our online second opinion page to learn more.
Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease
Our expertise and specialized tests help us make the right treatment recommendation for your needs. Each week our interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging cardiologists, and preventive cardiologists meet to review complex cases and arrive at treatment options as a team. Sometimes you need lifestyle changes or medication, and sometimes you need a specialized procedure or surgery.
Treatment Overview
Specialized Care for Women
Our goal is to treat you in a way that keeps you healthy and active, and provides you with the best quality of life possible. Specific treatment depends on the type of coronary artery disease you have.
Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease
We treat narrowed or blocked vessels with lifestyle changes, medications, percutaneous coronary intervention, and/or surgery. Hybrid coronary revascularization is another option we offer for people with obstructive coronary artery disease.
Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease
People can have chest pain (angina) even when there are no narrowed or blocked vessels. We are one of the few centers in the United States specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of non-obstructive coronary artery disease.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
Splitting of the layers of the coronary artery can lead to a unique type of heart attack that is often unrecognized. If not appropriately diagnosed, patients can become worse. We bring a personalized approach to the management of SCAD and have ongoing research to better understand this disease.
At Stanford, we understand that women with coronary artery disease (CAD) may have different health needs than men. Our specialists at the Women’s Heart Health Clinic have advanced training in understanding the different ways CAD affects women.
We are one of the few centers in the United States that has the tools and diagnostic tests needed to find the hard-to-detect types of non-obstructive CAD that are more prevalent in women, including endothelial dysfunction and microvascular dysfunction. We also have specialized expertise in diagnosing and treating spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which affects many more women than men.
We recognize that women with CAD have different concerns, including:
Age
Women with SCAD or non-obstructive CAD are often younger than typical heart patients. The psychologists at our Cardiac Behavioral Medicine Program offer support groups for women with SCAD and help women with both conditions get back to feeling their best.
Emotional distress
Many women with heart conditions may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression after diagnosis. The psychologists at our Cardiac Behavioral Medicine Program can also treat you for these conditions using cardiac behavioral therapy. They use different methods, including mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, to support you in overcoming any distress.
Diagnosis
Many women with hard-to-detect forms of non-obstructive CAD may have gone to doctors at other clinics without getting a precise diagnosis. At Stanford, we have the tools, technology, and knowledge to find these conditions and provide women with an accurate diagnosis so you can start getting the proper treatment right away.
Pregnancy
If you are on any medications for CAD and are pregnant, are planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding, our cardiologists work with the doctors at Stanford’s Gynecology Clinic to ensure that the drugs you are using are safe for you and your baby.
Some women can develop cardiac issues during pregnancy that require specialized expertise to manage.
If you developed cardiac risk factors during pregnancy, such as diabetes or hypertension, that can increase your risk of heart attack in the future, we will work with you to manage those risk factors after the baby is born.
Our goal is to treat you in a way that keeps you healthy and active, and provides you with the best quality of life possible. Specific treatment depends on the type of coronary artery disease you have.
Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease
We treat narrowed or blocked vessels with lifestyle changes, medications, percutaneous coronary intervention, and/or surgery. Hybrid coronary revascularization is another option we offer for people with obstructive coronary artery disease.
Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease
People can have chest pain (angina) even when there are no narrowed or blocked vessels. We are one of the few centers in the United States specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of non-obstructive coronary artery disease.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
Splitting of the layers of the coronary artery can lead to a unique type of heart attack that is often unrecognized. If not appropriately diagnosed, patients can become worse. We bring a personalized approach to the management of SCAD and have ongoing research to better understand this disease.
close Treatment Overview
At Stanford, we understand that women with coronary artery disease (CAD) may have different health needs than men. Our specialists at the Women’s Heart Health Clinic have advanced training in understanding the different ways CAD affects women.
We are one of the few centers in the United States that has the tools and diagnostic tests needed to find the hard-to-detect types of non-obstructive CAD that are more prevalent in women, including endothelial dysfunction and microvascular dysfunction. We also have specialized expertise in diagnosing and treating spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which affects many more women than men.
We recognize that women with CAD have different concerns, including:
Age
Women with SCAD or non-obstructive CAD are often younger than typical heart patients. The psychologists at our Cardiac Behavioral Medicine Program offer support groups for women with SCAD and help women with both conditions get back to feeling their best.
Emotional distress
Many women with heart conditions may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression after diagnosis. The psychologists at our Cardiac Behavioral Medicine Program can also treat you for these conditions using cardiac behavioral therapy. They use different methods, including mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, to support you in overcoming any distress.
Diagnosis
Many women with hard-to-detect forms of non-obstructive CAD may have gone to doctors at other clinics without getting a precise diagnosis. At Stanford, we have the tools, technology, and knowledge to find these conditions and provide women with an accurate diagnosis so you can start getting the proper treatment right away.
Pregnancy
If you are on any medications for CAD and are pregnant, are planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding, our cardiologists work with the doctors at Stanford’s Gynecology Clinic to ensure that the drugs you are using are safe for you and your baby.
Some women can develop cardiac issues during pregnancy that require specialized expertise to manage.
If you developed cardiac risk factors during pregnancy, such as diabetes or hypertension, that can increase your risk of heart attack in the future, we will work with you to manage those risk factors after the baby is born.
close Specialized Care for Women
To schedule an appointment, please call: 650-723-6459
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate new medical approaches, devices, drugs, and other treatments. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may be eligible to participate in open clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
Our Clinics
The Stanford Interventional Cardiology program is a leader in diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease, offering the latest minimally invasive procedures and treatments. Our interventional team typically sees new patients within two weeks.
3rd Floor, Clinic A31
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-2621 Getting Here
RELATED CLINICS
2nd Floor, Room A260
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-5909
2nd Floor, Room A260
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-5909
Suite 150
Pleasanton, CA 94588
Phone: 925-278-7017