Cardiologist Lily Dastmalchi, DO, earns national menopause specialization credential

Lily N. Dastmalchi, DO, MA, FACC, FASPC, MSCP, is board certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography and internal medicine. She leads the development of menopause services at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular and is one of the only cardiologists in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area who has earned a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) credential, affirming her advanced expertise in menopause-related healthcare.

Dr. Dastmalchi shared her insights about her recent MSCP certification and how it helps advance Inova’s expertise in menopause and women-centered cardiovascular care.

As a cardiologist, why did you decide to pursue designation as a Menopause Society Certified Provider?

I pursued the certification to develop a deeper understanding of the evidence and the science behind how we as providers approach menopause and the complexities that women deal with during this life stage. In working toward this certification, I was able to dive into the guidelines and recommendations developed by menopause experts. The process gave me a different perspective as to how to care for women going through the menopausal transition, how to approach hormone therapy prescription, and how to monitor and treat women with cardiovascular risk.

We know that cardiovascular risk for women increases during menopause. As a cardiologist, I’m not prescribing hormone therapy, but I do conduct risk assessment to evaluate the safety of starting hormone therapy from a cardiovascular perspective. I also work with women to help them understand their cardiometabolic health and risk factors, which shift dramatically through the menopause transition. This certification has proven enormously beneficial for my practice and my patients.

How has your gaining the MSCP certification benefited your patients?

The training for this credential took me a step back out of cardiology as a specialization and gave me an opportunity to look more broadly from the perspective of a provider who’s taking care of women. For example, this broader scope might include:

• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Osteoporosis risk and calcium/vitamin D supplementation
• Behavioral health concerns
• Hormone fluctuations and where a patient is within the menopause transition

It has helped me appreciate the complexity of menopause. It has also helped me approach it in a more systematic way that better captures what my patients could be going through this life stage.

How Inova specializes in women’s cardiovascular health

The leading cause of death for women, both globally and here in the United States, is cardiovascular disease. The women’s cardiovascular program at Inova is amazing because it’s not just a matter of seeing women and treating them for coronary disease. We understand how complex heart disease can look in women, and we bring a dynamic, multidisciplinary approach to it.

There are certain conditions that are more prevalent in women specifically, like microvascular disease or spontaneous coronary artery dissection, as well as pregnancy-related complications and how they relate to overall cardiovascular disease risk. Our team truly understands the amazing life changes and transitions that women go through, how they impact the risk of cardiovascular disease, and what we as cardiologists can do to help dampen that risk, now and in the future.

What do you wish more women know about menopause and cardiovascular health?

I want them to know that hormone therapy can offer a lot of benefit for women, especially when indicated for vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), as well as osteoporosis prevention. And the women’s cardiovascular health program can help women reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease while they’re on hormone therapy. I also want women to know that if you can’t be on hormone therapy because of cardiovascular disease risk, it’s not the end of the world. There are other nonhormonal options that are just as safe and can benefit you.

I hope that more women see the menopause transition as a great time to be proactive about their heart health. Our team is here to partner with women to help them navigate menopause while staying healthy and reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Discover care designed for women

The Inova Women’s Cardiovascular Health Program provides personalized, multidisciplinary care to women with, or at risk of developing, cardiovascular disease.