• Introduction (What is Heart Diseases)
• Signs and Symptoms of Heart Disease
• Causes of Heart Disease in Women
• Risk Assessment for Heart Disease

Introduction (What is Heart Disease):

Heart Disease is a woman's concern. Every woman's concern. One in ten American women 45 to 64 years of age has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in four women over 65. Overall, about 9 million American women of all ages suffer from heart disease. Another 2 million women have had a stroke. Both heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular diseases, which include serious disorders of the heart and blood vessel system. High blood cholesterol is a condition that greatly increases your chances of developing coronary heart disease, the main form of heart disease. That is because extra cholesterol in the blood collects in the inner walls of the arteries, allowing less blood to get to the heart.

Today, about one-quarter of American women have blood cholesterol levels high enough to pose a serious risk for heart disease. Blood cholesterol among women tends to rise from the age of 20 onward, but goes up sharply beginning at about age 40. It continues to increase until about age 60. More than half of women over age 55 need to lower their blood cholesterol.

Signs and Symptoms of Heart Disease:

Women may experience early symptoms of cardiovascular disease differently than men. The symptoms in women can be far subtler. If you or any woman you know shows these signs, seek medical attention right away.

• Shortness of breath, often without chest pain of any kind
• Flu-like symptoms — specifically nausea, clamminess or cold sweats
• Unexplained fatigue, weakness or dizziness Pain in the chest, upper back, shoulders, neck, or jaw
• Feelings of anxiety, loss of appetite, discomfort
• Pressure, fullness, or squeezing pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and then returns
• Pain that extends to the shoulders, neck, or arms Chest discomfort accompanied by dizziness, fainting, 

If you even suspect these symptoms, call your doctor.

Causes of Heart Disease in Women:

• Smoking
• High blood cholesterol
• Overweight / obesity
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Physical inactivity
• Family history of heart disease