By Mori Krantz, M.D., Denver Health Cardiology

More than 80 million Americans suffer from some sort of heart disease including high blood pressure, which alone accounts for 60 million Americans. More than 900,000 Americans die each year from heart disease. Heart disease is brought on by smoking, improper diet, sedentary lifestyle and other risk factors, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol and obesity (being overweight).

Heart Attack Warning Signs
Heart attack warning signs are not always like those seen in movies where a person clutches their chest and falls over. The number one symptom is chest discomfort and/or pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, which can radiate up to the neck, into the back or shoulders or down the arm. It is not necessarily severe pain, and it may come and go. Shortness of breath may occur with, or without, chest discomfort. 
For women, less classic symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, light-headedness or a racing heart may occur more commonly. Still, these symptoms should be taken seriously as heart attacks are the leading killer of women in the U.S. 
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should call 911 immediately. Proper treatment is critical to saving lives. 

Preventing Heart Disease
As a doctor in Denver Health’s Department of Cardiology, I see many patients who could have prevented heart disease by following these simple heart healthy tips:

• Eat better. Avoid over-eating, fast foods and high fat diets. Also avoid trans fatty acids and processed foods with high-fructose corn sweetener. Substitute good fats for bad fats like avocado, raw nuts and fish instead of chips, hamburgers and French fries. 
• Exercise most days of the week. A sedentary lifestyle lays the foundation for heart disease.
• Practice preventive medicine. Schedule regular cholesterol screenings and blood pressure checks. Education can lead to important lifestyle changes.
• Vitamin supplements, such as vitamins A, B, C, and E are not effective in reducing heart attack risk, so it’s critical to get checked and lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Don’t smoke and stay away from secondhand smoke. For help to quit smoking, call the Quitline at 1-800-639-QUIT (7848), or visit QuitNet at www.co.quitnet.com. 

While we have known for a long time that smoking is a major heart risk, recent studies have shown that staying away from secondhand smoke can also reduce the risk of heart disease. In 2003, Pueblo passed a no-smoking law banning smoking in restaurants, bars and other public areas. My colleagues and I studied the town a year and a half before the law took effect, and a year and a half after.  We found that in the time before the law took effect, 399 heart attack patients were admitted to the city’s two primary hospitals. In the year and a half after the ban, only 291 heart attack patients were admitted, a 27 percent decrease. This indicates the less a person is exposed to smoke, even secondhand smoke, their risk of a heart attack is decreased. Similar data has been shown in Helena, Mont., Ireland and Italy.
Overall, the best way to reduce the risk of heart disease is to live a healthy lifestyle, and always remember to exercise more and eat less. 

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