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" Here&amp;#039;s the good news: Research shows that heart disease is largely preventable (80% of cardiac events are linked to unhealthy choices). That means you have the power to change your heart-health destiny by making small tweaks to your daily habits. Use this guide to be inspired by one survivor&amp;#039;s story, find out if you&amp;#039;re at risk and learn simple steps you can take to boost your heart health. Erika Perez&amp;#039;s life-changing night &amp;quot;When I put my 10-day-old son, Joshua, to bed on February 2, 2011, I felt dizzy and exhausted, but I figured it was just the stress of caring for a newborn. Later, as I was trying to fall asleep, I felt a tightness in the left side of my chest. I told my husband, Ernesto, &amp;#039;I must have gas from eating beans.&amp;#039; He made me chamomile tea, because it&amp;#039;s relaxing. But the pain grew worse\u2014it felt like something was stuck inside my chest. Ernesto said, &amp;#039;I&amp;#039;m calling 911.&amp;#039; I fought back: &amp;#039;No. It&amp;#039;s 10:30 at night. I don&amp;#039;t want an ambulance to wake the neighbors. If it&amp;#039;s only gas, I&amp;#039;ll be embarrassed.&amp;#039; Thank God he called anyway. When EMS workers arrived, my blood pressure was high, but my EKG was normal. They encouraged me to go to the hospital just to be safe, but I didn&amp;#039;t want to. A few minutes after they left, I regretted my decision. The pain spread to my back, left arm and fingers. My daughter, Natalie, woke up and we asked her to watch the baby. My husband drove me straight to the emergency room. Facing fears At the hospital, my blood pressure was still high\u2014but this time, my EKG was abnormal. I wasn&amp;#039;t sure what that meant, but my doctor said, &amp;#039;You&amp;#039;re having a massive heart attack.&amp;#039; Suddenly there was an IV in me. My world started to spin. I was only 37 years old! I was so scared. I thought: My grandpa and aunt died of a heart attack, so now I will too. The tough truth Doctors discovered that I had 100% blockage in one artery, plus a tear. They inserted a stent to keep my blood flowing. I was awake and felt some pain during the procedure (they couldn&amp;#039;t put me to sleep because my heart might have stopped), but I was so afraid of dying that I didn&amp;#039;t care. During the operation, I couldn&amp;#039;t stop crying. I kept praying to God to give me a second chance. After two hours, a doctor said, &amp;#039;You made it.&amp;#039; I cried and laughed because I was so relieved. I stayed in the hospital for four days and then went to outpatient cardiac rehab for a month. I was given medicine to treat high cholesterol and high blood pressure and a booklet about how to eat better and exercise more. My doctor said, &amp;#039;Your lifestyle has to change. You need to take care of your heart.&amp;#039; Finding support Afterward, I felt anxious because I was terrified that I would have another heart attack. I started looking for resources online and found GoRedForWomen.org. I read stories from women like me who had had heart attacks. They were doing well, and I thought, Maybe I&amp;#039;ll be OK too. Now, I spread the heart-healthy message as a national spokesperson for Go Red. Don&amp;#039;t brush off telling symptoms\u2014and change your habits now, so you don&amp;#039;t have to go through what I did.&amp;quot; KNOW YOUR RISKS! Check out these heart disease risk factors, and if one or more apply to you, talk to your doctor about steps you can take to prevent the condition and lower your chances of a heart attack (don&amp;#039;t let it catch you off guard!).  \u2665 Family history (especially if a parent or sibling has it)  \u2665 Pre-hypertension (blood pressure over 120/80 mm Hg)  \u2665 Smoking  \u2665 Borderline high LDL (&amp;quot;bad&amp;quot;) cholesterol (over 130 mg/DL)  \u2665 Low HDL (&amp;quot;good&amp;quot;) cholesterol (below 50 mg/DL)  \u2665 Diabetes  \u2665 Smoking  \u2665 Being post-menopausal  \u2665 Obesity (a BMI of 30 or higher) SOURCE: American Heart Association RECOGNIZE A HEART ATTACK Men&amp;#039;s and women&amp;#039;s symptoms differ, so learn these key signs\u2014and if you experience one or more, call 911 immediately. + Chest pain or pressure (feeling like there&amp;#039;s a weight on you) + Pain in arms, back, shoulder, neck, jaw and/or abdomen (especially if it&amp;#039;s with emotional stress or physical activity) + Breaking out in a cold sweat + Sudden dizziness + Nausea or discomfort in pit of stomach + Fatigue that comes on suddenly + Shortness of breath SOURCE: Amparo Villablanca, MD, director, University of California Davis Women&amp;#039;s Cardiovascular Medicine Program, member of the WomenHeart Scientific Advisory Council and Woman&amp;#039;s Day Heart Health Advisory Board. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/womens-health/advice/a7115/heart-attacks-in-young-women/>