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Heart disease: Know your risk

Are you at risk for having a heart attack?

Factors such as your age, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure affect your heart health. Use this Web tool to determine your 10-year risk of having a heart attack.

• More information on heart disease: Know your risk

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Reading those words may make you feel like you have no control. But many things can affect whether or not you develop heart disease, some of which you can control. That's why it is important to understand your personal risk factors.

Risk factors are conditions, habits, family history, and other facts about yourself that make you more likely to develop certain diseases. The more risk factors you have, the higher your risk of getting certain diseases. Some risk factors such as age or family history can't be controlled. But many can be controlled by making changes in the way you live. In this section you can learn more about the different kinds of risk factors that you can and can't control.

• Heart disease risk factors you can control
• Heart disease risk factors you can't control
• Other possible heart disease risk factors

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More information on Heart disease: Know your risk

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Heart Disease Fact Sheet - This fact sheet on women and heart disease includes information about risk factors, prevention, and treatment of heart disease.
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/heart-disease.cfm

Explore other publications and websites

• Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors (Copyright © Journal of the American Medical Association) - This fact sheet describes the main risk factors of coronary heart disease. Some factors you can control, and some you cannot, but it is important to do what you can to keep your heart healthy and strong.
  http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/302/21/2388.pdf
• The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women - Every woman should be concerned about heart disease, the leading cause of death for American women. This easy-to-use, easy-to-read handbook explains factors that place women at risk of heart disease and recommends steps they can take to protect their heart health.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/downloads/html/hhh/aim-healthy-weight.htm
• Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: Maps - These interactive maps present heart disease and stroke mortality rates at national, state, and county levels and by gender and racial/ethnic group.
  http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/maps/index.htm
• Heart Disease in Women - This fact sheet lists the most common signs of heart disease and provides women with tips to lower their risk of heart disease and stay healthy.
  http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/ucm118528.htm
• Heart Disease in Women: Understand Symptoms and Risk Factors (Copyright © Mayo Foundation) - What can you do to help prevent heart disease? This fact sheet explains the symptoms of heart disease unique to women and recommends ways to keep your heart healthy.
  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/hb00040
• Heart Disease Risk Factors - Heart disease risk factors are conditions or habits that raise your risk for heart disease and heart attack. This fact sheet discusses how following a healthy lifestyle can reduce some of these risk factors.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hd/hd_whatare.html
• Heart Truth for Women: An Action Plan - Good news! Heart disease is a problem you can do something about. This fact sheet will help you find out your personal risk of heart disease. Then, it will show you how to take steps to improve your heart health and reduce your chances of developing heart disease.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/material/factsheet_actionplan.pdf
• Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet (Copyright © Women’s Heart Foundation) - This publication compares the symptoms, treatment, and survival rates of heart disease between men and women.
  http://www.womensheart.org/PDFs/FactSheet_WHD.pdf
• Women's Heart Disease Risk Quiz (Copyright © Women's Heart Foundation) - Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women. Do you think that you are at risk for heart disease? Take this quiz and find out.
  http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/content/HeartDisease/heart_disease_risk_quiz.asp
• Your Guide to Living Well With Heart Disease - This guide is designed for people with heart disease. It provides information on risk factors, treatment, and the importance of knowing the signs of heart attack.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/your_guide/living_hd_fs.pdf

Connect with other organizations

• American Heart Association
  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
• Heart Truth
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/
• Mended Hearts, Inc.
  http://www.mendedhearts.org/
• National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
  http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm
• Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation
  http://www.sistertosister.org/
• Texas Heart Institute
  http://www.texasheartinstitute.org
• WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease
  http://www.womenheart.org/

Content last updated February 01, 2009.

Resources last updated February 01, 2009.

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