Did you know that 500,000 women die each year from cardiovascular disease? Yet, many women miss the early signs of heart disease and consider it to be a man’s disease. February is American Heart Month and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign aims to raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women, and to empower women to take charge of their heart health. National Wear Red Day is on February 3^rd, and all Americans are encouraged to wear red in support of the cause.

Education and awareness is essential in improving heart health and preventing a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, usually by a blood clot. If blood flow is cut off completely, the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die. Here are some signs to watch for:

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Heart disease and heart attacks are largely preventable. In order to prevent yourself from having a heart attack, you need to lower risk factors. There are a range of factors that raise your risk, and the more risk factors you have mean the greater your chances are of developing heart disease and having a heart attack. Here are some actions that you should take to lower your risk for heart disease:

1. Lower Your Cholesterol: Cholesterol, along with other substances, creates plaque buildup in your arteries and can reduce blood flow. If an artery that feeds the heart becomes blocked, it causes a heart attack. Since high cholesterol has no symptoms, many people don’t know they have it. Visit your doctor to find out what your cholesterol levels are and, If necessary, work with your doctor to lower your cholesterol.
2. Lower Your Blood Pressure: High blood pressure (hypertension) makes the heart work harder then normal and increases your risk of having a heart attack. More than 73% of women ages 65-74 have high blood pressure. Your doctor can help you create a plan to lower your blood pressure.
3. Stop Smoking: Smoking increases your risk of a having a heart attack, but it is also the most preventable cause of death in the United States. In fact, when you stop smoking, your risk of heart disease can be cut in half in just one year, and it continues to decline until it’s as low as a nonsmoker’s risk.
4. Increase Physical Activity: Those who are physically inactive are much more likely to develop heart disease. You should participate in physical activity to improve your cardiovascular fitness and help reduce your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day to condition your heart and lungs. Moderate-intensity activities could include walking, gardening, housework or dancing.
5. Reduce Body Fat: Too much body fat, especially in your waist area, puts you at higher risk for the health problems that lead to heart disease. Your goal should be to reach a healthy weight and stay there. Beware of fad diets, programs and products that promise rapid weight loss. Your best bet is to work with your doctor or a registered dietician to set up a sensible eating and physical activity plan that will help you safely reach a healthy weight.
6. Manage Your Diabetes: According to the AHA, women with diabetes have from two to four times higher death rates from heart disease than women without diabetes. Regular medical checkups are essential if you have diabetes. You should work closely with your doctor to manage your diabetes and reduce or eliminate other risk factors for heart disease.
7. Manage Stress: We all have it, but we all feel it in different amounts and react to it in different ways. Too much stress can cause you to pick up other unhealthy habits, such as overeating or smoking, which can increase your risk for heart disease. Work with your doctor to find healthy ways to manage stress.
8. Limit Alcohol Consumption: Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure and put you at higher risk for a heart attack. If you chose not to eliminate alcohol completely, drink in moderation. This means limiting yourself to no more than one alcoholic drink per day.

The risk factors above are considered to be controllable because you can take actions to reduce or eliminate them. However, there are other risk factors that are uncontrollable because you cannot change them through behavioral changes. One of the uncontrollable risk factors for heart disease is age. Simply put, the older you get, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. In addition, African Americans have higher rates of heart disease than Caucasians. This is partly because African Americans are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, which are all risk factors for heart disease. Lastly, if someone in your family has had a heart attack, you are at greater risk of suffering a heart attack yourself.

To learn about your risk for having a heart attack, check out the Go Red Heart CheckUp tool on the American Heart Association’s website. If you would like to discuss your risk factors, simply schedule an appointment with your Sound Family Medicine healthcare provider.