Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the US, but about half of women don't realize this is true. The good news is that up to 90% of heart disease can be prevented with a heart-healthy lifestyle.

To the surprise of many, heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, and a UC Davis Health physician is working to raise awareness of how women can protect themselves. During her annual Women's Heart Care Forum and year-round outreach, cardiologist Amparo Villablanca, director of UC Davis Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program, encouraged all women to work with their physicians to know and track their numbers and their heart disease risks.

7 ways to prevent heart disease

Villablanca offers healthy lifestyle tips, based on Life's Simple Seven^® from the American Heart Association:

1. Keep blood pressure under 120/80 mm Hg

2. Maintain an overall cholesterol level under 200 mg/dL

3. Be physically active by engaging in at least 150 minutes of exercise each week

4. Manage weight and avoid obesity

5. Eat a heart-healthy diet

6. Control blood sugar

7. Don't smoke

Heart attack symptoms in women

Villablanca wants all women to know the signs of a heart attack, which can be more subtle in women, unlike the "crushing chest pain" that is sterotypical of a heart attack. "Women may not experience all of the symptoms," Villablanca said. "And any one of them should be cause for alarm."

Villablanca noted that women are more likely than men to hold off calling 911 when experiencing heart attack symptoms, and quicker treatment reduces heart damage and death. "A heart attack is a medical emergency and there should be no delay in getting interventions initiated as soon as possible," Villablanca said. "Calling 911 does that by bringing the hospital to you."

Symptoms of a heart attack

• Pressure or discomfort in the chest area. The pressure can radiate to the back or jaw (more common in women) or down the shoulders to the arms or hands
• Shortness of breath (more common in women)
• Sweating
• Nausea or vomiting (more common in women)

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911.