This month marks the 47^th year since Congress designated February as American Heart Month. The goal of this program is to raise national awareness about heart disease and educate Americans on how they can avoid heart disease.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States; more Americans die from heart disease each year than from all types of cancer combined. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease, which is a narrowing or hardening of the vessels that supply blood to the heart. If left untreated, coronary artery disease will almost always lead to a heart attack. In 2009, about three-quarters of a million Americans will have their first heart attack, and another half million will have a recurrent attack. Every minute, another American will die from a heart attack.

The chance of developing coronary artery disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of another heart attack or a stroke in the future.

The major signs of a heart attack are chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm or shoulder; pain in the jaw, neck or back; shortness of breath; and feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. Although the most commonly experienced symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort, women are more likely than men to experience other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, pain in the back or jaw, or nausea. Women also are more likely than men to delay seeking emergency treatment for a heart attack. Receiving immediate treatment substantially increases the chance of surviving a heart attack. Recent studies indicate that women may also have to wait longer to receive critical cardiac care than men, in part because their symptoms differ from men’s and also due to the fact that even doctors may still see heart disease as a disease of men.

For more information on ways to prevent heart disease and stroke, visit CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. To find out more about coronary artery disease and other heart diseases, consult the Healia Health Guide for Heart Disease. Join the conversation about heart disease in the Healia Health Community for Heart Diseases. If you of someone you know has had a heart attack and is trying to prevent a second one, you can share your experiences with others by joining the Healia Health Community and Support Group for Heart Attack.

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