In 2006, Carrie Lange was 34 weeks into her first pregnancy when her blood pressure soared to 200 over 110. Her hands and ankles swelled from fluid accumulation. She met her doctor at the hospital and was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy that can be life threatening. For the health of her and the baby, she gave birth soon after.

After giving birth, Lange experienced sporadic chest pains, palpitations and shortness of breath. When she met with a doctor, she was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety. In each of her two subsequent pregnancies, Lange experienced preeclampsia, which increased her symptoms. She repeatedly sought answers from a variety of physicians.

"Every doctor cleared me of heart disease and every one of them handed me medication to treat what they diagnosed as anxiety,” said Lange. “So finally, I just stopped going. I knew I didn't need that medicine. I knew I didn't have anxiety."

For nearly two decades, she experienced debilitating symptoms without understanding the true cause. Her mother heard Odayme Quesada, MD, Medical Director of The Christ Hospital Women’s Heart Center, talk about the connection between preeclampsia and cardiac disease. So, Lange decided to visit The Christ Hospital’s Women’s Heart Center.

"Just listening to Carrie's story, I became suspicious of microvascular disease," said Dr. Quesada. "With proper testing, I confirmed an official diagnosis of microvascular dysfunction."

The diagnosis came for Lange after more than 16 years of looking for an answer. Even when women tell their doctors they're having symptoms like chest pain and difficulty breathing, they can still walk away without a true diagnosis or proper treatment. Dr. Quesada said that Lange's experience is unfortunately all too familiar, having met many women whose heart disease was left undiagnosed.

"That's why The Women's Heart Center was created. We address the overwhelming gap in women's cardiac care,” said Quesada. “Our team of cardiologists, advanced practitioners, and specialized nurses provide women with a place where they are listened to, cared for, and diagnosed."

Lange described, after having a definitive diagnosis and appropriate treatment decades after being told it was anxiety related, how she took her life back.

"I was able to carry my child up the stairs and noticed that I could exercise longer without having to take multiple breaks,” said Lange.

To read more about here Carrie Lange’s story, click here.

Approximately one in three women in the United States has a form of cardiovascular disease and 90% of women have at least one risk factor for heart disease. The Christ Hospital is dedicated to better understand these risk factors and help improve outcomes. As a part of these efforts, we're conducting a Women's Heart research study and are actively looking for participants. Take the survey today to see if you qualify.

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up for more than 1,300 physicians and more than 6,500 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region, named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2022 and one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience.