Cardiovascular disease isn’t age-biased: Today, one in five heart attack patients is younger than 40 years old, per the Cardio Metabolic Institute. And the statistics are even more concerning for women. Earlier findings suggest that women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, than men. Cardiovascular risk also “accelerates dramatically” post-menopause. But even with this information, researchers say women with cardiac issues often go undiagnosed and untreated.

This is a common theme in women who don’t exhibit the standard modified risk factors for heart disease—medically referred to as “SMuRFs”— and they’re subsequently deemed “healthy” by their doctor.

The four primary SMuRFs include hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. Ho

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