University of Virginia Health System

Who's at Risk?
Risk Factors that make a person more likely to develop heart disease.   Every risk factor counts.  Even if you have only one risk factor, your chances of developing heart disease are greatly increased because risk factors tend to "gang up" and worsen each other's effects.  Risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• High Blood Cholesterol
• Physical Inactivity
• Being Overweight /Obese
• Family History of heart disease, especially at a young age (55 and older for women; 45 and older for men)

Take Action Now
Talk with your physician about your risk factors and family history of heart disease, and then ask what you can do to improve your heart health.  Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and proper treatment of heart disease can prevent many heart attacks.

• Commit to healthy habits to reduce your risk factors
• Get regular medical screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
• Know your numbers -- understand what the numbers means and take ownership of your own cholesterol, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar levels
• Know the heart attack warning signs.
• Be aware of any changes in your health.  After a woman reaches age 60, symptoms such as angina or shortness of breath may be present.  Any pain or other symptoms need to be taken seriously. 

To schedule a cardiac heart risk assessment call 434-243-4707

The Heart Truth for Young Women:
Physical activity levels drop sharply as girls become teenagers .

The Heart Truth for Women (age 40-55): 
Beginning at age 45, more women than men have a total cholesterol over 200 mg/dL – borderline high or higher.

The Heart Truth for Women (age 65+):
Most women over age 65 have obvious heart disease; lowering cholesterol is especially important to keep heart disease from worsening .