Women’s heart and echocardiography

Abstract

Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for evaluating cardiovascular disease, providing comprehensive assessment of cardiac structure, function, and hemodynamics. Its noninvasive nature, wide availability, and absence of radiation make it particularly suitable for repeated use, including in younger women and during pregnancy. Moreover, women-specific cardiovascular diseases are not uncommonly detected by echocardiography. However, smaller cardiac size, higher baseline ejection fraction, and technical limitations in women may affect interpretation. This review highlights the role of echocardiography across cardiovascular conditions relevant to women, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, coronary microvascular dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, and valvular heart disease. It also addresses stress-induced cardiomyopathy, physiological changes during pregnancy, and peripartum cardiomyopathy.