If you did not know it, February was decreed "Heart Health Month" in 2004 by none other than the President of the United States, claiming in a press release then that "64 million Americans suffer from one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, and congenital heart defects."

The P.O.T.U.S. further states that "Heart disease is responsible for the deaths of one in three women in the United States," and according to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women over the age of 25, taking the lives of twice as many women in the United States than all types of cancer, including breast cancer. Surprisingly, according to the AHA, only 13 percent of women think heart disease is a threat to their health.

That heart disease is not seen as a real problem for women can be blamed, in part, on medical research, as heart disease studies have traditionally focused primarily on men.

Changes are under way, but some doctors still fail to recognize the warning signs displayed by female patients.

Recognizing and treating a heart attack right away dramatically improves a patient's chance for survival.

The typical American, however, waits two hours before calling for help. Once you know the warning signs, a quick call to 911 (within five minutes of the onset of symptoms) and a heart attack victim is less likely to experience cardiac arrest (where the heart stops beating).

Significant differences exist in the symptoms displayed by women and men. Men typically experience the "classic" heart attack signs: tightness in the chest, arm pain, and shortness of breath.

While Women's symptoms -- nausea, an overwhelming fatigue, and dizziness -- are strikingly different and are often chalked up to stress. Women told study researchers that they had a hard time getting their doctors to listen to them about these early warning symptoms, and even when they do, firm diagnoses often come up negative.

Two years ago, Mrs. Anthony had some of the symptoms described above, including the inability to sleep due to rapid heartbeat.

We made the drive down to St. Francis without much delay and she was kept overnight and monitored. Fortunately I brought her home the next afternoon, but it was without a definitive diagnosis as to what caused the accelerated rhythm.

Her mother, The Russian Beauty Queen, has had her own episodes, twice requiring a stay in the hospital and the administering of nitroglycerin pills, but because of the difficult diagnostic nature of the disease, she also came home without a firm idea of the trouble.

My own mother passed away from complications following surgery to repair cardiovascular damage to her heart, so this topic is a serious concern to me.

The President's mandate to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease includes research that has shown that men and women who lead healthy lifestyles, including making healthy food choices, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and choosing not to smoke or drink excessively, can significantly decrease their risk of heart disease.

Now, when Mrs. Anthony insists on increasing the length of our dog walks around Federal Way, or when she shoves that teacup full of heart healthy herbs under my nose, I'll try harder to accommodate her wishes.