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Coronary heart disease is the number one killer, worldwide, of men and women over the age of 60. But people of all ages succumb to heart attacks each year. And while death rates have declined in the US and many western European countries, mortality is on the rise in the developing world. Yet most heart disease is preventable. No one would have guessed that Barbara Teng would have a heart attack. She was not overweight. She did not smoke. But she also did not exercise. “In 2004, the week after I turned 49, when I was on a business trip in Chicago, I had a major heart attack," she said. And that changed her life. She now exercises daily, monitors her heart health, and speaks at events held by Sister to Sister, a heart health program for women. Susan Gurley, the organization’s director, says the message is urgent. "Heart disease is 82 percent preventable and it is the leading cause of death for women," she said. It’s also a leading cause of death for men. The World Health Organization reports that more people die each year from heart disease than from any other cause. WHO says more than 60 percent of deaths from cardiovascular disease take place in low and middle-income countries. It says the heart disease pandemic is on the rise. Dr. Patrice Desvigne-Nickens is with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. She says the key to staying healthy is knowing your numbers. | 
