Even a Medical Device Executive’s Mom Was Brushed Off: Why You Should Ask for the Right Heart Tests

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women—yet women’s symptoms are still too often dismissed, minimized, or misunderstood.

In this episode, Archelle talks to Nina Goodheart, a medical device executive who leads work in heart valve disease. Despite her own expertise, Nina’s own mother had her symptoms brushed off by a physician—simply because they didn’t look “typical.” That experience became a turning point.

In their conversation, Archelle and Nina unpack why heart disease looks different in women, how decades of research and device design have prioritized men, and why knowing your symptoms isn’t enough—you also need to know which heart tests to ask about. They also discuss how to push back when you’re told “you’re fine,” and why bringing someone with you to appointments can change outcomes.

The conversation explores the Letter to My Mother initiative—a powerful reminder that conversations within families can save lives—and why advocating for yourself or a loved one may be the most important health skill of all.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed in a doctor’s office, or wondered whether you should ask more questions, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

Women and men are not biologically the same. For decades, medications and devices have been largely designed for men, tested in men, and then apply to women as an afterthought. That is beginning to change.

Conversations save lives. The Letter to My Mother campaign may have started at Medtronic, but it doesn't have to stop there. It's a simple, way to start a conversation that many families and many women avoid. I'd
encourage you to sit down with a pen and paper and write a letter to your mother or to a woman in your life that you love.

Being informed about heart disease isn't enough. You have to speak up.
It is important to know your symptoms and "know your
numbers", but you also need to know the tests and then ask about them. Ask about an EKG, an echocardiogram. Ask whether more intensive or longer-term monitoring makes sense for you. Push back, ask why, and then ask again. And if you need to, take someone with you.

Links

Learn more about heart valve disease: medtronic.com/en-us/l/patients/conditions/heart-valve-disease.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/l/patients/conditions/heart-valve-disease.html

Medtronic Survey on Women & Heart Disease: medtronic.com/2025-05-07-New-survey-1-in-3-women-have-not-talked-to-their-doctor-about-heart-health,-the-1-killer-of-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://news.medtronic.com/2025-05-07-New-survey-1-in-3-women-have-not-talked-to-their-doctor-about-heart-health,-the-1-killer-of-women

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#HeartHealth #WomenEmpowerment #CardiovascularHealth #HeartDisease #HealthAwareness #WomenInHealth #SelfCare #Medtronic #AdvocateForYourself