Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death across all demographics. Just this past year, a lot of people have unfortunately passed away as a result of this condition. One of the most notable people who succumbed to their heart disease was the well-loved author, actress, and "Star Wars" star Carrie Fisher.
Fisher suffered a heart attack while she was on a flight going from London to Los Angeles. Medical personnel were able to rush her to the hospital, but she was unable to recover and passed away four days later.
Fisher seemed relatively healthy prior to the mishap and was reportedly even able to finish all of her shoots for the next "Star Wars" film. To many, this raised the question of women's heart disease and of heart disease and general, as well as how people are susceptible to it without them even knowing it in the first place.
"Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined," Dr. Jennifer Mieres, professor of cardiology and population health at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, told USA Today in an interview.
Research shows that the symptoms women experience prior to a cardiac arrest are deemed more atypical compared to the "textbook" symptoms that men experience prior to an episode. What's even scarier is that two-thirds of the women who experience heart disease showed no telltale signs of the condition.
In fact, the occurrence of this condition is so terrifyingly common that it actually occurs once a minute, according to the American Heart Association. Luckily, there are now signs that have been pinpointed that could mean a certain percentage of the female population is at risk of having heart disease.
Women are at a higher risk for cardiovascular problems if they experienced menopause before the age of 50. Certain inflammatory diseases such as lupus as well as rheumatoid arthritis can also help determine risk. Other risk factors are specific towards women such as pregnancy complications and preterm births, which is why it is very important to watch out for these things.
Watch some of Carrie Fisher's best moments here: