Here's the story of woman who had even more silent risk factors and didn't even know it. She became a patient in the emergency room where she's worked for 15 years. She went home to get ready for a stress test. Fortunately, word spread at Mease-Dunedin Hospital that Heidi was coming in for tests. That's the last thing Heidi remembers doing.
Heart attacks happen when vessels in the heart become blocked.
It's a silent process that takes years. But knowing your blood cholesterol level can be an important indicator of your risk. You should also know how it breaks-down. The American Heart Association recommends a total cholesterol below 200. The so-called good cholesterol or HDL should be 35 or higher.