Heart Disease Statistics for Women

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Statistics for women show that, if you add up all of the deaths resulting from the next top eight causes of death in women (including breast cancer), the number would be lower than the number of women's lives lost to heart attacks each year. Most women do not appreciate the gravity and risk of heart disease.

No. 1 Killer

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. While more women seem to fear breast cancer, one in 30 women die of breast cancer versus one in three of heart disease.

Lack of Symptoms

• Only about a third of women who die suddenly from a heart attack experienced prior symptoms. Most had no warning signs.

Prevalence of Heart Disease

• In the United States, 20 percent of women have some form of heart disease. Most women begin developing issues with their heart when they are young.

Post-Menopause Risks

• The risk of a woman having heart disease doubles, and might even triple, after she goes through menopause.

Healthy Lifestyle

• A woman can reduce her risk of dying from a heart attack by up to 82 percent if she leads a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.