Learn the symptoms
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Now research is finding that women's heart disease is often different from that typically found in men. When patients seek medical care for chest pain, diagnosticians typically look for a "culprit" obstructive lesion - plaque that is blocking an artery. But in many women diffuse plaque in the tiny vessels branching within the heart itself can combine to deprive the heart muscle of oxygen.
Many times, women having a heart attack don't have classic signs. Women's symptoms often are different from men's, too, contributing to under-diagnosis.
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They may experience abdominal or mid-back pain, jaw pain, indigestion or extreme fatigue, rather than radiating chest pain.
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Shortness of breath is also a common complaint that may indicate manifesting heart disease.
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Most women - more than 50% - don't realize that smoking will lower the age at which they might have a heart attack.
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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.
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Women with the "metabolic syndrome" that includes insulin resistance, unhealthy cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels, hypertension, and abdominal obesity can be at a greater risk.
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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.
Reduce your risks
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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.
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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.
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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.
Learn more about the LiveSmart Program, a roadmap to cardiovascular disease prevention, created by the Forsyth Cardiac and Vascular Center.
