via BlackDoctor:
Heart disease is the top killer of women. The majority of women between the ages of 40 and 60 have at least one risk factor for the disease. But many do not realize it. They also don’t know about the sometimes subtle signals of a heart attack.
Why the disconnect? In general, heart disease has been perceived as an older person’s disease that need not concern women until menopause. For years, women also thought hormone therapy (HT) would protect them from heart trouble. But heart attacks can and do occur at any age. Plus, we now know that HT may actually raise the risk for heart disease.
A common form of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which affects the blood vessels of your heart. Heart disease also includes atherosclerosis, or the thickening and hardening of your arteries, as well as stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure. The groundwork for heart disease can start in your 20s.
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