Women's heart health month: Medical expert shares ways to prevent heart disease

February is Women's Heart Month and since heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, prevention is key. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, over 80% of heart attacks and strokes are preventable with the appropriate risk factor management. So the first step in your prevention journey is knowing your numbers and knowing your risk. In fact, risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, sleep apnea, family history, obesity, smoking, excess alcohol use, and lack of exercise. Knowing your risk means getting your blood test checked and using an online calculator to predict your risk of heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years and during your lifetime so you can optimize your cardiovascular disease prevention. Part of this is also getting a test called a calcium score which can predict blockages before they manifest themselves as a heart attack. Now if all this sounds overwhelming, don't worry. Just make an appointment with a preventive cardiologist today who can help you get ahead of your heart attack and stroke risk factors.