Health Management Center
Cholesterol screening should start at age 20, then at least every five years
Did you know?
- Women who have gone through menopause are more likely to have heart attacks
than men
- Women are more likely to die of a heart attack than men
- 1 in 25 women die from breast cancer. 1 in 2 women die from a heart attack
Most women are aware of the classic symptoms of a heart attack: squeezing chest
pain, shortness of breath, fainting/sweating, and pain that spreads to the
shoulders, neck or arm. However, the warning signs of a heart attack for women
can vary from the “classic” symptoms. They are:
- Unusual chest, stomach or abdominal pain
- Nausea or dizziness without chest pain
- Shortness of breath without chest pain
- Anxiety, weakness or fatigue
- Dizziness, palpitations or cold sweats
Risk factors that YOU can control
- Cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death
- Rising blood cholesterol levels increase risk for heart disease
- High blood pressure increases the heart’s workload causing the heart to weaken
- Inactivity is a risk factor. Exercise can help control blood cholesterol,
diabetes and obesity – and help lower blood pressure in some people
- Overweight people with excess body fat are more likely to develop heart disease
(talk to your doctor about the facts on diet and exercise)
- Diabetes Mellitus increases the risk of developing heart disease.
Source: American Heart Association