Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women—but it's largely preventable. Learn simple steps to protect your heart and reduce your risk by 80%.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, yet it often remains underdiagnosed and undertreated—despite being largely preventable. At the 2025 H.E.R. Summit, Nikhil Bassi, MD, a top cardiologist at Hoag, shared an empowering message: Women who adopt eight simple lifestyle changes can reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke by 80%. "If I had a medicine that could do that, we’d all be lining up,” Dr. Bassi noted. “These are things we can do for free in our day-to-day lives."
Supported by data from the American Heart Association, top lifestyle factors include: a heart-healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet), regular exercise, quality sleep, not smoking or vaping, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing three key numbers: cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. These may seem basic, but their combined impact is incredibly powerful. While regular visits to your physician are important for tracking these metrics and catching problems early, tools like smartwatches and continuous glucose monitors can help you understand your blood pressure and blood sugar patterns in real time.
When to Start Thinking About Heart Health
It's never too early to focus on cardiovascular wellness. For the roughly 9,000 women delivering babies at Hoag annually—40% of whom are over 35—pregnancy serves as a crucial “first cardiac stress test.” Women who develop preeclampsia face higher cardiovascular disease risk decades later, making postpartum heart health monitoring essential.
Family history also matters significantly. Dr. Bassi recommends a genetic test for lipoprotein(a), a hidden risk factor many doctors don't routinely check. "We've been able to identify entire families," he explained. "You check one person to discover their numbers are high, and now their kids and siblings are empowered to be more cognizant of their heart health."
Recognizing Warning Signs
Unlike the classic image of a man clutching his chest, women mainly experience atypical or silent symptoms: shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, or jaw pain. "Trust your intuition," Dr. Bassi advised. "You know your body, and nobody will fault you for getting checked."
Personalized screening tools like calcium scores and advanced lipid panels can identify plaque buildup before symptoms appear. "The goal is to be proactive," Dr. Bassi emphasized. "I want to see you in the office, not the emergency room."
When it comes to women’s heart health, knowledge is power. By knowing your risk factors—including pregnancy history, family history, and those essential eight metrics—you can partner with your physician to create a heart-healthy future.
For information about how to support women’s heart health at Hoag, contact Kristen Rasmussen, executive director of development, Hoag Hospital Foundation, at (949) 764-8823 or Kristen.Rasmussen@hoag.org.
