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Heart Health

Heart Disease

Heart disease is a term for different conditions that affect your heart. You may not be diagnosed until you’ve had:

  • heart attack
  • heart failure
  • arrhythmia

Coronary artery disease is the most common type. CAD is caused when plaque builds in the arteries and affects the flow of blood to the heart. If blood flow to the heart is blocked, it can stop beating and cause a heart attack. A heart attack can result in sudden cardiac arrest. Most people die within a few minutes if they don’t get emergency care. 

Could it Happen to You?

You can’t change some risk factors for heart disease, like family history. But you may be able to control some like:

  • high blood pressure
  • high LDL cholesterol
  • smoking
  • unhealthy weight or obesity
  • lack of physical activity
  • heavy alcohol use
  • diabetes

Symptoms

Don’t wait for a heart attack to realize you have heart disease. 

Symptoms include:

  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain or discomfort
  • pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
  • dizziness or fainting

Know the Warning Signs

Not all heart attacks are the same. Some are sudden and intense while others start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Your risk of heart disease increases with age.

Did you know that women and men may experience heart disease and heart attacks differently? Men build up plaque in the larger arteries while women build it up in the smaller blood vessels. Women also have additional risk factors related to pregnancy like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.  

Signs of a Heart Attack

Everyone can have:

  • chest pain or discomfort that lasts or comes and goes
  • pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
  • feeling weak, light-headed or faint
  • pain in arms or shoulder
  • shortness of breath

But women can also have:

  • nausea
  • indigestion
  • tiredness
  • dizziness

If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 right away. Quick action helps save lives.

How to Lower Your Risk

To protect yourself, stay smart about your heart:

  • follow a healthy diet
  • reduce your cholesterol
  • lower high blood pressure
  • move every day
  • maintain a healthy weight
  • manage diabetes
  • reduce stress
  • limit alcohol
  • know the signs of a heart attack
  • talk to your doctor about your heart health and steps you can take to stay healthy
  • exercise
  • don’t smoke

Use Your Benefits to Get Heart Healthy!

Keep up with your preventive care and talk to your provider if you have a family history or think you may have heart disease. 

If you need help finding a provider, use Provider Finder® to search by location, gender or specialty. A Personal Health Guide can also help you find an in-network provider 24/7. Call 1-866-355-5999 or chat through the BCBSTX App.

  • Well onTarget® has interactive wellness programs and one-on-one support from wellness coaches – at no extra cost – to help you reach your heart health goals. Certified coaches include nutritionists, fitness experts and more. 
  • Join the Fitness Program to get your heart pumping and be more active. 
  • Earn Member Rewards by shopping for a procedure, a cardiologist or any other tests you need. 

Related Factors to Heart Health

Learn more about:

Sources: Physiology, Cardiovascular, National Library of Medicine, 2022, Heart Disease: 7 Differences Between Men and Women, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 2024, Heart Attack: Men vs. Women, The Heart Foundation, 2017, Heart Attack Symptoms: Are They Different for Men and Women?, Temple Health, 2020, About Heart Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, Heart Disease Facts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, Women and Heart Disease, Texas Heart Institute, 8 Things You Can Do to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke, American Heart Association, 2019.