Heart disease is the number one killer of women in this country. Each year approximately 500,000 women die of heart disease and 250,000 of these from heart attack. The second leading cause of death is stroke. Lung and breast cancers are 3 and 4. Unfortunately, many women and their doctors fail to recognize that over ten times as many women die from heart disease than from breast cancer each year. Heart attack kills almost as many women between ages 35 and 55 as breast cancer does women of all ages. One out of every two women dies of heart disease.

Women need to be aware of their risk factors forheart disease. The most important risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and family history. Being overweight and failing to get regular exercise can also contribute. Regular screening for high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol become increasingly important as women age.

Women do not always show the "classic" symptoms and can be harder to diagnose than men. For this reason, appropriate testing for coronary artery disease (blocked arteries to the heart which can cause heart attack) is not performed as early or as often as it is in men. I encourage women with chest, arm, neck or back pain that is not explained to discuss the possibility of testing for the presence of coronary artery disease with their physician. This is especially important if the symptoms, which may include shortness of breath, are exertional.

The good news is that we have many new technologies and medications to treat coronary artery disease and that strategies for prevention have been outlined and continue to be updated and revised.

I encourage every woman to discuss heart disease with her personal physician. Both you and your physician should be aware of your risk factor profile for coronary artery disease. This way appropriate lifestyle adjustments and medical interventions can be made.

http://www.women.americanheart.org