Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women, killing seven times as many women as breast cancer. Many people believe that heart disease typically occurs in men, so it is often not perceived as a major health risk for women.

Chandler Regional Medical Center has developed several special educational and diagnostic programs tailored to women.

Our programs can help women recognize potential warning signs (which are often different than men's) and develop a regime that works with their lifestyle.

What are the differences in heart disease for women?

In the United States, one out of ten women and one our of six men between the ages of 45 to 64 has some form of heart disease. This increases to one in five women and one in three men age 65 and older. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

• Women who smoke are likely to have a heart attack almost 20 years earlier than non-smoking women.
• High blood pressure is more common in women taking oral contraceptives, especially in obese women.
• Women with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack than women without diabetes.

How much does heredity influence my risk factor?

Heart disease does seem to run in some families. If your parents or grandparents have a history of high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, or are overweight, then there is greater chance that you will have these same heart disease risk factors. If close family members (parents, grandparents, siblings) have suffered heart attacks before the age of 50, this also increases your heart disease risk. Although we cannot change our family history, modifications can always be made in diet, exercise, stress management, and other lifestyle factors that affect heart disease risk.