Many people, when they hear the term "heart disease", easily think that it's a man's disease. But, the truth of the matter is, heart disease affects women the way it affects men. It's not just a man's thing. In fact, such disease is considered throughout the world as the number one killer of women, contrary to the popular belief that breast cancer is the primary culprit.

Heart disease in women is but a common phenomenon. It was reported that women are four to six times more likely to suffer and die from such disease than of breast cancer. Also, several statistics have shown that the illness in women occurs specifically among those who are more than 65 years old.

Well, there is no concrete evidence to explain why it occurs in women more than it occurs in men. Experts don't even precisely understand why women have lesser chances of survival than men do. The reasons are not really well understood. But, many experts have linked certain facts to it that encouraged them to say that it is so serious that one in two women will die of such disease compared with one in twenty-five women who will suffer and die of breast cancer.

One of the biggest reasons that experts have thought of is that women tend to obtain the disease for about 10 years later in life compared with men. Aside from that, the women's heart is so fragile that they are more prone to some kinds of chronic conditions, like heart disease. There are also other experts who say that it occur in a great number because women are not as aggressive as men in diagnosing or treating their conditions. They don't seek for treatments and medication, or they just tend to ignore the situation thinking that it will soon heal. It was also observed that it is very common because women have smaller hearts and their blood vessels are more prone to damage. Because of this condition, it would also follow that the symptoms of heart disease in women may appear very different from that of men.

Whatever the real reason is, it is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Women should do something about it, and it's nice to know that there are ways you can do to prevent the disease from developing. Perhaps one of the wisest moves to take is to change your lifestyle into something that is heart-healthy. If you smoke, quit from it. Or, if you drink alcohol in excessive amount, then stop and avoid it. Changing these habits might be difficult to do, but there's nothing impossible with women, right? If men can quit smoking and alcohol drinking, women can also do it. It's just a matter of determination and self-discipline.

Heart disease in women can also be prevented by way of lowering the cholesterol levels in the body, along with the blood pressure. Most women are so conscious with their body. Everybody wants to be slim and fit, so this is not something impossible to do. Eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight. And, to strengthen the defense, do some exercise and if possible, consider a regular check up. As simple as that!