More immediate concerns beat heart health in the priorities and behaviors of young women

Although it is the leading cause of death in women, more than 75 percent of young women worry little or not at all about getting heart disease. Most young adult women have taken some actions to preserve their health, such as seeing a doctor, exercising or trying to reduce stress. Competing health concerns and a lack of awareness of heart disease as a killer of women are barriers to young women adopting heart-healthy actions that can reduce their heart disease risk later in life.