As a woman, do you know what your risk is for developing heart disease? You might be surprised. Take this quiz, based on information from the American Heart Association, and see how much you know about heart disease in women.
Women often perceive heart disease as an older person's disease that need not concern them until menopause.
For many women, a heart attack may feel like a strange discomfort in the back or some other easily ignored sign, instead of crushing chest pain.
Women are more likely than men to have "silent" or unrecognized heart attacks. Not all heart attacks begin with sudden, crushing chest pain, the way they are often shown in the movies and on TV.
New guidelines for preventing cardiovascular disease in women call for a long-term approach to reducing risk, the American Heart Association says. Among the new guidelines: All women should reduce saturated fat to less than 7 percent of total calories, and women who need to lose weight should exercise for 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week. With regard to nutritional supplements, although no harm was found, folic acid supplements do not appear to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular disease. Similarly use of antioxidant supplements was not recommended, although eating foods naturally high in antioxidants, particularly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, was recommended.