WSR

Not A Man's Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of women in the United States. American women are 4 to 6 times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer. Heart disease kills more women over 65 than all cancers combined (AAFP 2007).

What puts you at risk?
 -Increasing age
 -Gender
 -Family history
 -Previous heart attack or stroke
 -Smoking
 -High blood pressure
 -Physical inactivity
 -Obesity and overweight
 -Diabetes
 -Individual response to stress

What can you do to lower your risk?
 -Don't smoke
 -Control your blood pressure
 -Control you cholesterol level
 -Maintain a healthy weight
 -Exercise regularly
 -Eat a low-fat diet
 -Take care of diabetes
 -Be aware of chest pain
 -know your family history

Heart attack warning signs
 -Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.  
 -Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   
 -Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.  
 -Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness     

Stroke Warning Signs
The American Stroke Association says these are the warning signs of stroke:
 -Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body   
 -Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding   
 -Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes   
 -Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination   
 -Sudden, severe headache with no known cause  

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseaseinwomen.html

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
1-800-242-8721

Women's Heart Foundation
http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/
PO Box 7827
West Trenton, NJ 08628
609-771-9600

National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
http://www.womenheart.org
818 18th Street, NW Suite 730
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 728-7199
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Heart Truth
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
301-592-8573
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
301-496-4236

American Academy of Family Physicians. (2007). Heart Disease and Heart Attacks: What women need to know. Retrieved December
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2876