SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — February is American Heart Month and MercyOne is reminding folks, especially women, about seeing a heart specialist.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke is the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year.

However, only about 44% of all women recognize heart disease as their leading cause of death.

A MercyOne Nurse Practitioner, Amy Lynde, explained who should be taking the proactive step to better care for their heart health.

“If it’s a new symptom and especially in people that have risk factors for heart disease such as inactivity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, those people should be more apt to come and be checked out if they’re having those symptoms,” said Lynde.

Women have milder symptoms for heart disease compared to men. Those symptoms include jaw pain, arm pain, and trouble breathing.