Give your heart a break this Valentine's Day

While we spend February 14 trying to win hearts, be sure to take care of your own the rest of the month during Heart Health Awareness Month.

For decades, heart disease was considered a man's disease, when in fact, researchers say, heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women resulting, in approximately 500,000 deaths annually.

One out of four women will die of it, so it's important for both men and women to speak with their primary care doctors about signs and symptoms, as well as what they can do to prevent heart disease.

While it's commonly known that heart attacks cause chest pain, there are also other symptoms and signals, including:

• Pain that radiates to the jaw, shoulder or arm;

• Nausea;

• Vomiting;

• Intense sweating.

Helping to prevent or slow the progression of heart disease depends on the patient's unique needs, specialists say. Dr. Sharonne Hayes at the Women's Heart Clinic at Mayo Clinic, suggests that people should aim for the following:

• Blood pressure reading of less than 120/80 millimetres of mercury;

• Lipid level below 200 milligrams of total cholesterol per decilitre;

• Body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 (pounds per inches squared).

More health-related information is available online at www.mayoclinic.org/canada.