Which of the following is the greatest health threat to women?
A) Breast Cancer
B) Lung Cancer
C) Cardiovascular Disease

 C. While all are serious health conditions, cardiovascular disease (disorders of the heart and circulatory system, which include stroke, hypertension, and atherosclerosis) claimed the lives of over 500,000 American women in 2000. Lung cancer took about 65,000 women and 41,800 women lost their battles with breast cancer that year.

According to a recent national survey, fewer than 33% of women knew the answer to this question. This is alarming since many women have differnt symptoms than men when they have a heart attack, and more women die from strokes than men. No matter what your age or sex, knowing the signs of a heart attack or stroke, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and how to take measures to prevent its onset could save your life or someone else's.

Heart Attack Warning Signs for Women

Chest pain or pressure that may radiate to the arm

Shortness of breath

Nausea with or without vomiting*

Pain in the jaw, neck, shoulder, back, or ear*

Feeling of intense anxiety*

Extreme fatigue*

*Symptoms more common in women than in men

Stroke Warning Signs for Women

Sudden onset of any of the following:

Weakness or numbness on one side of the face or body

Trouble speaking or understanding

Confusion

Trouble seeing or walking

Loss of balance or coordination

Dizziness

Severe headache with no known cause

Women's Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Smoking

High blood pressure

High LDL and low HDL cholesterol

Physical Inactivity

Body Mass Index (BMI) score in the obese range

Diabetes

Menopause

Family history of early heart disease

Aside from family history and menopause, the other risk factors are under our control. A recent study has found that the earlier in life you start to make healthy lifestyle changes, the lower your risk for heart disease later on — but it's never too late to make healthy changes. The following lifestyle suggestions promote heart health for women and men of all ages.

• Don't smoke.

• Keep saturated and trans-fats in your diet to a minimum by eating fewer processed foods and fatty foods from animal sources. Eat cholesterol-containing foods in moderation.

• Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer risk. These foods also contain folate, which helps lower high homocysteine levels (another risk factor for heart disease).

• Try these foods in moderate amounts for heart health: beans; whole grains, especially oats and barley; all vegetables, especially those in the onion family; all fruits, especially citrus fruits, red grapes, and berries; soy foods; fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines; nuts (raw or dry roasted, unsalted); green or black tea; red wine; dark chocolate.

• Do some sort of physical activity every day. One hour a day is optimal, but even a little is better than nothing.

• Get your blood pressure under control. If it's high, cut down on salt in your diet, exercise regularly, and talk to your doctor about blood pressure-lowering medication. Ask me for information about the DASH Diet to help lower blood pressure.

• If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, get your blood sugar under control. Diabetes increases heart disease risk, especially for women.

• Get your stress levels under control (see article Staying Healthy Under Stress).

• Get your body weight and body fat into healthy ranges, especially if you carry your fat around your middle. I'll be doing body fat testing at most of our stores this month, so check my schedule and come get tested.