ABC27 WHTM Organizations team up to get women 'heart smart'

Organizations team up to get women 'heart smart'

Our hearts are hard workers. In fact it's estimated that the muscle, about the size of our fists, beats 4,000 times in just an hour. So keeping it healthy is vital.

"We know that early  detection can prevent some devastating outcomes for women," said nurse practitioner MaryLou Osevala.

Penn State Hershey Medical Center teamed up with the American Heart Assocation with the mission to have heart-to-heart talks with women about heart disease.

"It is often undetected and put aside for taking care of our families... many times women will delay getting blood pressures checked and taking care of themselves," Osevala said.

So, it's important to know your numbers. Blood pressure should be 120 over 80. Experts say to get high blood pressure treated as early as possible, along with remedying weight problems with diet and exercise.

You should also know the number of your HDL or "good" cholesterol, which should be over 40.

Also, experts say that the signs of heart disease in women may be different than men. "If you are having a heart attack, women won't have the typical pain a man would have," Osevala said. "They may have more fatigue ...many times pain is not in the chest and radiates to back area."