Career Opportunities Investor Relations Contact Alterra Site Index Understanding Heart Disease Symptoms and Risks Understanding the risks of heart disease and making lifestyle changes can help most men and women live longer, healthier lives.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death of women in the United States.
Each year more than 11 times as many women die of cardiovascular disease as of breast cancer. Every 20 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack. Almost 60 million people in the United States have heart or blood vessel disease. During a heart attack, one or more of the arteries supplying blood to the heart becomes blocked, reducing or stopping blood supply to part of the heart. The heart muscle can be severely damaged if the blood supply is cut off for a long period of time.