ASK THE DOCTOR               

Dr. Jeffrey Tauth, M.D., board certified in cardiology St. Joseph's Mercy Health Center

As a woman, what are my risks for heart disease?
Heart disease is the number one cause of death among American women, but a surprisingly large number of women don't know that. It is estimated that one in two women will die of heart disease or stroke, compared with one in 27 who will eventually die of breast cancer. But don't let these statistics get you down. You can substantially reduce many of your risk factors for these conditions.

What are the major risk factors of heart disease?
While you can't do anything about unchangeable risk factors such as age, family history, race or gender, you can lower your risk by changing some of your habits and taking medicine if needed. The four major, changeable risk factors are:

• Cigarette or tobacco smoke
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Physical inactivity

What are the major warning signs or symptoms of a heart attack?
The most common signs are:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
• Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms
• Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

Remember, not all symptoms occur in every attack