Women who think that heart disease is just a man's problem should think again.

"Most women worry about breast or ovarian cancer when they reach age 40," says Jamye Wright, R.N., B.S.N., Manager of Cardiopulmonary Health Services. "What they don't realize is that as many women die from heart disease as from all other cancers combined.: In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of women, not breast cancer.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer over the course of their lives; one in 25 will die of it. But according to the American Heart Association, one in two women will be affected by heart disease or stroke. Heart disease is, by far, the largest killer of women 55 and older.

Before menopause, a woman's risk of heart disease is lower than a man's risk because she is largely protected by the hormone estrogen. But by the time she reaches 60, a woman has as much chance of having a heart attack as a man, says Wright. What's more, women under 50 are twice as likely to die of a heart attack than men if they do have one, according to Yale University researchers.

The reason? "Women are more likely to pass symptoms off as something else and wait longer before seeking treatment," says Wright.

"Most women are surprised by these facts," she notes. "They also don't recognize the symptoms that suggest possible heart problems - and how those symptoms can differ from men's.

:A woman can certainly have chest discomfort, but other symptoms are also common, including shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, unexplained anxiety or fatigue," says Wright.