Heartbeat To Heartbeat
Women and Heart Disease
with Lucy Lawless

Heart Disease Information

Symptoms:

Warning signs of a heart attack or angina (the start of a heart attack) can include:

• An uncomfortable feeling in the chest—tightness, heaviness and/or pain
• Pain extending up to the jaw or neck
• Back pain
• Discomforting shortness of breath
• Lots of sweatiness
• Nausea
• Bad indigestion (chest burning)

Risk factors we can’t change:

• Aging
• Menopause
• Family history: As a woman, you are at increased risk if you have a mother or sister who has developed heart disease before age 65, or a father or brother who has developed heart disease before age 55.

Risk factors we can change:

• Smoking
• Weight control
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Abnormal cholesterol (high bad cholesterol or low good cholesterol)
• Lack of exercise

Tips for taking care of your heart:

• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet.
• Know your numbers: cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
• Keep bad cholesterol (LDL), diabetes and high blood pressure under control.
• Form a partnership with your physician—prepare for your doctor’s appointments, and ask questions.

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