A woman's heart has been given credit—or blame—for everything from unfathomable love and forgiveness to jealousy and revenge.

Her heart has been intertwined with her soul, imbued her with special strength, and accused of leading where her mind should go first.

Since a woman's heart is so valuable, she has to take very good care of it. A woman can love her heart by:

• Reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Stopping smoking. A smoker's risk of coronary heart disease is two to four times greater than a nonsmoker.
• Lowering cholesterol. The higher the cholesterol level, the higher the risk.
• Getting moving. Be active a minimum of 30 minutes every day. More if you have weight to lose.
• Eating healthy. That includes the right kinds of foods as well as the right portions of the food.
• Choose a low fat diet high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Use less salt and watch your intake of sugars. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation.
• Controlling blood sugars. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Losing weight. The more obese a woman is, the greater her risk. Aim for a healthy weight and waist size of less than 35 inches.

Woman Facts

• Cardiovascular disease accounts for 39 percent of all female deaths in the U.S.
• Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of 483,842 in 2003. Cancer claimed 267,902– 41,566 from breast cancer and 67,894 from lung cancer.
• Within one year of a heart attack, 38 percent of women, compared with 25 percent of men, will die.
• Women who smoke have a four-fold increase in risk of sudden cardiac death.
• Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of women over the age of 25.
• More women die from stroke than men.

Prevention rather than control

Heart disease is a disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to a heart attack. Heart disease is a lifelong condition. Once you get it, you can control it, but you will always have it.

That's why it makes so much sense to prevent the disease rather than control it.

Lifestyle changes are an effective way to reduce a woman's risk of heart disease. But first a woman has to recognize that she's at risk.

Ellen Gordon, MD, UI Hospitals and Clinics cardiologist, says women are beginning to be more aware that heart disease is an equal opportunity killer. They rank heart disease as the leading cause of death, but still only 13 percent of women consider it a personal risk.