By Andrea Pettes
 
February 5, 2010
 
MEDFORD, Ore. - Heart attacks and other heart related diseases kill more people in the United States than anything else.
 
Someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds in the U.S., and heart disease is responsible for more than 40 percent of all deaths in the nation.
 
Friday is Wear Red Day, where women nationwide are encouraged to wear a red article of clothing in order to raise awareness about heart disease.
 
While the most common signs of a heart attack are shooting pains down the left arm or heavy pressure in the chest, they aren't the only signs people need to be aware of.
 
"Even with all that's in the media, people are pretty clueless when it comes to warning signs in their own lives," said Beth Coker, Cardiac Rehab Supervisor.
 
Medical experts say shortness of breath, fatigue, pain behind the shoulders or jaw pain can indicate a big problem.
 
"Those are the little things people are not paying attention to and not being proactive about getting into their doctors," Croker said.
 
For women, one of the biggest factors is stress. Doctors say women are often misdiagnosed, or they choose to ignore symptoms all together
 
"The symptoms of heart disease can vary person to person, and your symptoms of heart disease may not be the same as it is for others," Cardiologist Dr. Kristin Linzmeyer said.
 
Doctors say, there are five things you need to ask yourself to see if you are at risk for heart disease. Do you smoke, have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease? If you can answer yes to any of these, doctor say you should be taking preventative measures.