It is Women’s Heart Health Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. This is about one in every four female deaths. Did you know that stress can lead to “Broken Heart Syndrome?” Women with broken heart syndrome have heart attack symptoms such as shortness of breath, irregular heartbeats or chest pains. Broken heart syndrome weakens the heart muscle when you become stressed by a sudden event such as an intense argument, abuse or a financial crisis. The sudden surge of stress hormones shocks the heart and slows the circulation.

Facts and Stats for Women’s Heart Health Month

Listed below are a few symptoms to be aware of for Women’s Heart Health Month and every day afterward.

Warning Signs

Warning signs can be different for women. Warning signs for women are:

• Pressure, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.

• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

• Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.

Heart Health Numbers

Know your numbers. There are four numbers you need to know:

• Total Cholesterol. Know your cholesterol numbers, your HDL, LDL and VLDL levels.

• Blood Pressure. Your blood pressure should be less than 120/80mmHg

• Fasting Blood Sugar. Your blood sugar should be around 100mg/dL

• BMI. Your body mass index, the amount of fat on your body, should be less than 25.

Ways to Prevent Heart Disease

Prevent heart disease with these tips now:

• Exercise

• Eat mindfully

• Do mindfulness practices

• Meet with friends regularly

• Don’t smoke