A heart attack occurs when one or more areas of the heart are deprived of oxygen. Symptoms of a heart attack can differ between women and men.

Many women are unaware that heart disease is a bigger health threat to them than breast cancer.

Women often perceive heart disease as an older person's disease that need not concern them until menopause.

For many women, a heart attack may feel like a strange discomfort in the back or some other easily ignored sign, instead of crushing chest pain.

Surveys show fewer than one in 10 women perceive heart disease as their greatest health threat. But it's the nation's number one killer, and women are its prime target.

The millions of Americans diagnosed with heart and cardiovascular diseases can benefit from making healthy choices in their day-to-day lives.