How much do you know about heart disease?

Your chest feels tight. You're finding it hard to breathe. You don't know whether you're going to be sick or pass out - or both. Are you having a heart attack?

Heart disease claims more than 493,000 women's lives a year in the US - nearly 1 death every minute. Most heart attacks and heart-related deaths occur in women over the age 65, but each year more than 9000 women under age 45 suffer a heart attack. Test your knowledge of heart disease by taking this quiz.

1. Heart disease is the leading killer of men. The following is the leading killer of women:
A. Stroke
B. Breast Cancer
C. Heart Disease
D. Ovarian Cancer

2. Women and men (always) suffer similar symptoms when it comes to heart attacks, including angina (squeezing chest pain), unusual fatigue, shortness of breath and nausea.
A. True
B. False

3. At the first sign of a heart attack, you should:
A. Chew and swallow acetaminophen (Tylenol)
B. Lie down with your hands above your head
C. A and B
D. None of the above

4. Which of the following are risk factors you can change?
A. Hypertension and high cholesterol
B. Diabetes
C. A and B
D. None of the above

ANSWERS:
1. C - Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women. Fewer than half of American women, however, are aware that heart disease, not breast cancer, is their greatest health threat.
2. False - Women are more likely to experience atypical symptoms and may not have the classic chest pain. Instead, they may experience only shortness of breath or fatigue upon exertion. These symptoms may go unnoticed by busy, overworked women.
3. D - First, get help by calling 911. Then chew and swallow a whole aspirin and get to a hospital immediately.
4. C - Age and a family history of heart disease are two risk factors you cannot change, but high blood pressure and cholesterol can be controlled through diet, exercise and drugs when necessary. Diabetes can also be controlled to reduce your risk of heart disease. An estimated 45% of diabetic women develop significant coronary heart disease. Other risk factors you can change include smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.

Courtesy of the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter. Health after 50.