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Ideal cardiovascular health means maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

More women than men die of cardiovascular disease each year, according to the American Heart Association. Additionally, women are less likely than men to receive appropriate treatment after a heart attack.

For women, generally the primary caregiver, personal health concerns are often put on hold as family and loved ones tend to take priority.

Due to this, improper diet, not enough exercise and daily stresses become the norm, and women put themselves at high risk for developing health problems including heart attack and stroke.

More than 400,000 female deaths in the United States are caused by cardiovascular disease each year, according to AHA.

Metabolic syndrome is a medical term used when a person has three or more risk factors, which increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes, or other vascular diseases, according to the National Institutes of Health and National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Provided by the AHA, risk factors of metabolic syndrome include: the waist being greater than 35 inches; triglycerides higher than 150 mg/dL; HDL (good cholesterol) less than 50 mg/dL; blood pressure higher than 130/85 mm Hg; and fasting blood glucose higher than 100 mg/dL.

Dr. Michael S. Fenster, interventional cardiologist with Hernando Heart Clinic in Brooksville, Fla., advised women at risk can experience warning signs in many different ways.

“For women and men, the most common warning sign is a discomfort in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes. It may come and go, often in relation to exertion or stress. It can manifest as an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain,” Fenster said.

Sometimes the discomfort can be felt in one or both arms, as well as the back, neck, jaw or stomach, he added.

“Some women experience a shortness of breath, that may or may not include chest pain,” Fenster said. “Additionally, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or feeling light-headed are possible. What is important to realize is that many women present without these ‘classical’ symptoms. These atypical symptoms may range from a general ill feeling to severe shortness of breath or abdominal pain.”

Women who are at high risk for heart disease are those who have existing coronary artery disease, such as stents, bypass surgery, and/or history of heart attack, stroke. Additionally, blocked arteries in the legs, abdominal aortic aneurysm, chronic kidney disease and diabetes are included as high-risk factors, the AHA advises.