“This is something that happens to 80-year-old men,” Karin Rigg thought as she was wheeled into NorthShore’s Evanston Hospital for an angioplasty. A busy mom of four young children, Karin Rigg suffered a heart attack at only 44—a year after giving birth to her youngest child.  She never thought she was at risk for a heart attack. Yet, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in women 55 and younger. 

Successful efforts have been made to raise awareness that heart disease is a very real and very serious problem for women but more can still be done.  Studies show that only a little more than half of women would call an ambulance if they thought they were having a heart attack but more than 75 percent would call for a husband or partner.

Karin Rigg shares her experience as a young heart attack survivor and the changes she made to her life to improve her heart health. She also tells us why it is so important for women to start making their own health needs a priority. 

How do you protect your heart? Do you make your health a priority?