Studies suggest women don't view heart-attack risk as seriously as men do.
Having a parent or sibling who’s had a heart attack early (generally before age 55 for men, before 65 for women) increases
your risk of suffering the same fate. But a recent study in American Heart Journal suggests that women aren’t getting the
message.
Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center discovered that women with a family history of heart attack
didn’t exercise any more—and were more likely to smoke—than lower-risk women. (Men with a family history were more likely to
acknowledge their increased cardiovascular risk and more likely to do something about it.) Particularly if you have a family
history, start getting screened and making healthy lifestyle changes—like improving your diet and committing to regular
exercise—now.