Forsyth Medical Center 
For All Women
Heart Disease
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Free Heart Risk Assessment
Call toll free at 1-866-392-3972 for a Free Heart Risk Assessment.
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Learn the symptoms
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Yet, according to the American Heart Association, fewer than 8% of women view heart disease as being a major threat to women's health. Plus, most women aren't aware that the risks and symptoms of a heart attack can be very different for them than they are for men. Here are the facts every woman should know:
- Many times, women having a heart attack don't have classic signs. They may experience abdominal or mid-back pain, jaw pain, indigestion or extreme fatigue, rather than radiating chest pain.
- Most women - more than 50% - don't realize that smoking will lower the age at which they might have a heart attack.
- Women with risk factors, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, are 2 1/2 to 3 times more likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest.
While your risk of heart disease increases with age and the onset of menopause, you can start making small changes now - no matter what your age - that will have a big impact on your heart's health.
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Do you have questions about women and heart attacks? Visit our Health Library for answers. |
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Reduce your risks
Stop smoking
Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than their non-smoking counterparts, and smokers are three times more likely than non-smokers to suffer a heart attack.
Exercise
Get your heart pumping! Women who are overweight or don't exercise have a much higher risk for heart disease. It's easy to get moving in the right direction. Start out with a walk after dinner or during your lunch break.
Pop a pill
Your mother always told you that an apple a day kept the doctor away. Well, it seems that old adage works well for aspirin, too. Aspirin reduces the risk of forming blood clots, which in turn reduces your risk for suffering a heart attack or stroke. Check with your doctor first, though, before beginning any daily aspirin regimen.
Women's HeartAdvantage Program
As part of a national effort to address women and heart disease, the Sara Lee Center has joined other leading community hospitals from across the country in sponsoring the Women's HeartAdvantage Program. This program has been developed to increase awareness of heart disease and help women recognize the symptoms of heart attacks. Often, women's symptoms differ from men's symptoms. By raising awareness, Forsyth Medical Center seeks to change women's attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about this serious disease.
For More Information
Or call us at 1-866-392-3972.
