Am I at Risk?

Americans often think of heart disease as a man's disease. That myth may contribute to women not getting the preventive care they need and the lifesaving treatment necessary when a heart attack or stroke occurs. Heart disease is a very real health concern for women, as evidenced by the following statistics:

• Coronary artery disease, which causes heart attacks, is the number one killer of women in America.
• One in four women who die in the United States each year die from heart disease.
• Heart disease causes almost twice as many deaths among women as all forms of cancer combined.
• More than one in three female adults in the United States has some form of cardiovascular disease. Females represent more than half of deaths from cardiovascular disease.
• Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of coronary artery disease had no previous symptoms.