Americans may be aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the nation, with more than 610,000 people being killed by the condition every year. This means that one in four deaths is linked to a cardiovascular event. Though mortality risk is high for both men and women, did you know: every 80 seconds a U.S. woman dies of heart disease ?

The sad part is that most of these deaths could have been prevented. A recent research also found that while 80 percent of women have at least one risk factor for heart disease, few women believe that heart disease may ever affect them.

Furthermore, while about 44 million of U.S. women have a heart condition, less than 30 percent recognize the symptoms of a heart attack. This month was deemed the heart disease awareness month for women, so everyone is invited to dress in red for this purpose.

Organizers of the ‘Go Red For Women’ campaign  hope that a higher awareness would prevent the unnecessary loss of the lives of our dearest persons including mothers, daughters, sisters, and significant others.

Fortunately, heart disease-related mortality has steadily declined in the last two decades. But, women are more likely than men to die of a heart attack, a recent report issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) shows.

The AHA also found that the causes of heart attacks in women differ from men’s. Plus, women are more prone to complications after a heart attack and more likely to die within the first year after the heart attack than their male counterparts.

The findings may be a surprise because we have been thought that heart disease is usually a men’s diseases. While that was available several decades ago, today the assumption no longer holds water. Many women tend to overdo things as they need to be both bread-winners and primary caregivers for their families. So, they usually tend to overlook their own well-being.

Plus stress at workplace takes a huge toll on women’s delicate system. Stress often translates into hormonal disturbances which can later lead to high levels of inflammation and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Because men are still seen as the group with the highest risk of developing a heart condition, women are often screened less extensively. Plus, in the wake of a cardiovascular event, women are less likely to be referred for coronary stenting or angioplasty as men usually are because doctors are afraid of complications.

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