•Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women.

•Women with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have heart attacks thank women who don’t have diabetes.

•High blood pressure is more common in women using contraceptives that contain hormones, especially in obese women. High Blood Pressure or hypertension is a cardiovascular disease. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using contraceptives with hormones particularly if you smoke or have a BMI of 30 or higher.

•Women who are inactive are at risk. 39% of white women, 57% of black women, 57% of Hispanic women, and 49% Asian/Pacific Islander women are sedentary and get no leisure time physical activity.

•Physical inactivity is a risk factor for obesity. Obesisty is a risk factor for heart disease. 23% of white women, 38% of black women, and 36% Mexican American women are obese.

New research finds that women who have had pre-eclampsia (previously called toxemia) during pregnancy have more than twice the risk of heart disease in later life.

Another study shows that women with cardiovascular risk factors that are present before pregnancy may be predisposed to pre-eclampsia.

(In pre-eclampsia, women experience high blood pressure, edema, protein in the urine and are susceptible to seizures. When seizures occur with pre-eclampsia it is referred to as eclampsia)

Although the exact cause of pre-eclampsia and it’s link to heart disease is not fully understood, you should inform your provider if you have ever experienced pre-eclampsia or eclampsia.