Let's say you detected a lump in your
breast. You'd probably call your gyno and
have it checked out pronto. Yet we bet that you
aren't paying attention to another potential
problem in your chest: your heart's health.

But the fact is, you need to. Females are five
times as likely to die from heart disease as they
are from breast cancer. And though both conditions
are rare in young women, your lifestyle
habits now, when you're in your 20s and 30s,
have a profound effect on your weight, cholesterol
levels, blood-pressure rate, and stress
levels — four factors that affect your odds of
developing heart disease in as little as a decade,
explains Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director
of the NYU Women's
Heart Center and author
of Dr. Nieca Goldberg's
Complete Guide to
Women's Health.
Even if
you spent your teens and
20s cultivating heart-harmful
habits, you can undo some of the
damage by taking the right steps now. Here,
six moves to work into your routine today.

Stay Out of Smoky Spaces

Even if you don't smoke, cigarette smoke
from friends, roommates, or strangers at a
club can put you at risk for heart attacks by
causing your arteries to narrow over time.

Secondhand smoke can also trigger more
immediate damage. "Just a few minutes of
exposure has almost the same effect on your
blood and blood vessels as if you were actively
smoking," explains Stanton Glantz, PhD,
director of the Center for Tobacco Control
Research and Education at the University of
California at San Francisco.

Eat Fat

You want the kind called monosaturated fat. It
lowers your level of bad cholesterol — the waxy,
artery-plugging stuff that can bring on a heart
attack. Foods loaded with monosaturated fat
include peanut butter, avocados, nuts, and fatty
fish like salmon, sardines, and anchovies,
explains nutritionist Dave Grotto, author of 101
Foods That Could Save Your Life.

Try to avoid anything with lots of saturated
or trans fats. These have been shown to raise
bad cholesterol and clog your arteries.

Do Short, Intense Workouts

While any heart-pumping activity helps
reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering
blood-pressure and bad-cholesterol levels and
keeping your weight and body mass index in
a healthy range, experts suggest that four
4-minute bursts of intense treadmill sessions
(punctuated by 3 minutes of lower-intensity
exercise) may be more effective than about
45 minutes of moderate jogging.

So consider taking 4-minute breaks during
a typical sedentary day, during which you run
in place or do jumping jacks. Or add 4-minute
intervals to your current workout, says Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness research
director at the South Shore YMCA
in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Unplug Yourself

"Always being on edge for a phone call
or text pummels your body with the
stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol,"
explains Dr. Goldberg. "High
levels of these hormones increase your
blood-pressure rate, which over time
hardens your arteries."

So try to unplug for an hour or two
a day, giving your body and mind time
to decompress. Going for a walk or
just soaking in a hot tub can reduce
the amount of stress hormones circulating
in your system.

Look on the Bright Side

Highly optimistic people have lower
death rates from heart disease, studies
show. "Optimists may engage in
healthier behaviors in general: They
eat right, exercise, and don't smoke,"
explains Redford Williams, MD,
director of the Behavioral Medicine
Research Center at Duke University.

Also, Dr. Williams says, "pessimists
are more likely to look for bad
behavior in other people, which
makes them angry," stirring up those
heart-harmful stress hormones.

Be a Social Butterfly

The more close relationships you
foster and the greater the number of
social activities you're involved in, the
lower your odds of heart disease.

"Friends provide emotional support
and a sounding board during
tough times, and research shows that
this helps reduce adrenaline levels,"
says Dr. Williams. Stick with friends
who build you up and make you feel
better about yourself.

Could It Be a Heart Attack?

It's rare for a young, healthy woman to experience a cardio
emergency, but some less serious conditions mimic the signs.

Your Heart Occasionally Skips a Beat

This freaky-yet-benign sensation is most often caused by anxiety or
drinking too much caffeine. Try chilling out and sticking to just one cup of
coffee a day; if you continue to experience the skipping, see your MD.

You Experience Frequent Palpitations

Again, caffeine and stress are often the culprits, but it could also be a
sign of a panic attack — especially if you're hyperventilating. Try to relax,
and slow your heart rate by sitting down and breathing deeply.

You Get a Burning Feeling Under Your Breastbone

It sounds like heartburn, a condition during which gastric acid from your
stomach rises into your esophagus. It's linked to spicy dishes and
caffeinated beverages, so cut back on these triggers. If symptoms recur
(or happen when you haven't eaten these foods), see your doctor.

You Feel Dizzy or Faint

Odds are, you simply are not eating or drinking enough. But if symptoms
don't improve after refueling or you actually black out, ask your
MD to check you out for anemia or a possible heart issue.

What Do You Think?