To build awareness about heart disease in women, it is vitally important to know the myths and understand the facts.

Myth #1

Heart disease is a man's disease.

The fact is that cardiovascular disease is the No. ! killer of women age 20 and older, killing approximately 480,000 women per year. One in three women has some form of cardiovascular disease.

Myth #2

If heart disease is in my family, there's not a lot I can do to prevent it from happening to me.

Unlike many other forms of disease, heart disease is largely preventable. You can CHOOSE to beat heart disease by
1.) knowing your health numbers. 2.) visiting your doctor once a year. 3.) getting 30 minutes of excercise daily. 4.) stopping smoking. 5.) eating healthy.

Myth #3

My doctor says my chest pain is just stress related, not a symptom of heart disease, so I'm OK.

Actually, this is one of the most common misdiagnosis of women with heart disease. Family practitioners often hear that a woman is stressed, tired and chest pains. They might diagnose "panic attacks" instead of performing the appropriate diagnostic tests to investigate. Listen to your heart. If something does not feel right, don't be afraid to get a second opinion.

Myth #4

I'm too young to have heart disease.

You're never too young to have heart disease. Family history is always with you, regardless of your age. And if you're overweight, if you smoke, if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol, your youth does not outweigh your risk factors.

Myth #5

If I am thin, my heart is healthy.

Just because you look good in a bathing suit doesn't mean you're fit or healthy. You don't have to be overweight to have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and if either of these numbers is high, you have heart disease.