1) Heart disease is the number one killer of women, surpassing cancer, with symptoms often being more vague in women such as shortness of breath, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, and back/neck pain. 2) The root causes of heart disease - diet, lack of exercise, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol - remain the same for both men and women. 3) Advances in cardiac equipment and procedures have helped reduce door-to-balloon times and save more heart attack victims, but prevention through lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, improving diet and exercise habits, and managing medical conditions still remains a challenge.