While any one risk factor will raise your chances of developing or worsening heart-related problems, the more risk factors you have, the more concerned you should be about prevention. If you smoke cigarettes and have high blood pressure, for example, your chance of developing coronary heart disease goes up dramatically. If you smoke, have high blood pressure, and also have high blood cholesterol, your risk to five times higher than that of women who have no risk factors. As Americans have learned to control blood pressure and make healthful changes in their eating, smoking, and exercise habits, death rates for heart attack and stroke have dropped dramatically. Between 1984 and 1994, the death rate from coronary heart disease declined 27 percent for white women and 23 percent for African-American women.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death for American women.
By taking an active role in your own heart health, you can make a difference.