St. Luke’s in KC announces new institute for women’s cardiovascular research

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – St. Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute for Women’s Cardiovascular Research is hoping to impact women in our lives and across all generations.

A $10 million endowed fund from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation will help make the institute possible.

St. Luke’s said the Saint Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman Institute for Women’s Cardiovascular Research is the first of its kind. The focus is studying unique aspects of heart conditions in women.

“This is historic,” Dr. Tracy Stevens, medical director of Saint Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman Women’s Heart Center, said. “It’s the first in Kansas City, our community, our country.”

Stevens said heart attack and stroke are the top health threats to women, killing more women every year than all forms of cancer combined.

She said women have been underrepresented in cardiovascular research due to barriers in enrollment and the belief that heart disease was a “man’s disease.”

She believes this institute will make a difference.

“There are unique conditions in women, are far more prevalent in women, we weren’t aware of, and we have far more questions that we do research-supported answers,” Stevens said. “So, this is very important because we feel it’s our responsibility to continue with our fierce passion for transformational research dedicated to women’s health.”

A team of clinician-investigators will dive into researching congenital heart disease, heart disease in pregnancy and broken heart syndrome, to name a few conditions.

They’ll also address SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection). It’s a type of heart attack that predominately happens in young women, often resulting in sudden death.

“We’re on a mission, and we’re just getting started,” Edie Marie Battaglia said.

She’s a SCAD survivor.

“SCAD happens to women that are 19, women that are 25, 35,” Battaglia said. “It can happen to anybody. I think as women, it’s time we worry about paying attention to things that we feel and to listen to our bodies … and not be afraid to say I’m going to go check this out because we’re going to put off our own health and if we’re not here tomorrow, what good is that going to do?”

About a week after her mom died, she felt discomfort under her left breast and pain in her jaw. This was 12 years ago.

She went to the ER.

Battaglia said a doctor with St. Luke’s spotted the signs of SCAD. Battaglia got the right treatment and survived.

Battaglia said she learned that not many people in the medical field knew about the condition, including her nurse with insurance.

“She didn’t know what SCAD was and never heard of it before,” Battaglia said. “I Didn’t realize we were so behind.”

Battaglia has used her second shot at life to advocate as a women’s heart champion.

“I figured I need to do something,” Battaglia said. “Even if it’s just one person at a time, it is my responsibility to be a change-maker.”

Health leaders hope the new institute will bring new treatments and better quality of care and outcomes for women with heart disease.

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