Women and Heart Disease

Heart disease is every woman's concern. One in 10 American women 45 to 64 years of age has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in four women over 65.  Heart Disease is the #1 killer of women in America.  Overall, about 9 million American women of all ages suffer from heart disease. Another 2 million women have had a stroke. Both heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular diseases, which include serious disorders of the heart and blood vessel system

• chest tightness, pressure or squeezing may come & go
• shortness of breath which occurs with or without exertion
• waking up breathless in middle of sleep
• nausea or indigestion-like discomfort only
• lack of energy or fatigue only

High blood cholesterol is a condition that greatly increases chances of developing coronary heart disease, the main form of heart disease. That is because extra cholesterol in the blood collects in the inner walls of the arteries, allowing less blood to get to the heart.

Today, about one-quarter of American women have blood cholesterol levels high enough to pose a serious risk for heart disease. Blood cholesterol among women tends to rise from the age of 20 onward, but goes up sharply beginning at about age 40. It continues to increase until about age 60. More than half of women over age 55 need to lower their blood cholesterol.