Have a heart: February is American Heart Month - do you know the warning signs of heart trouble?

There are plenty of observances tying health to a season or holiday in hopes of reminding people of annual screenings and other physical checks. Perhaps the most significant in terms of number of people affected is February.

February is proclaimed American Heart Month each year by the president of the United States, and last year celebrated its 50th anniversary.

During the month, the American Heart Association leads a specialized campaign to promote awareness about heart health and disease prevention.

Heart disease, according to medical research and national agencies that monitor public health, is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women, contributing to about 600,000, or one in four, deaths each year. The statistics hold true for Missouri, where heart disease is also the primary cause of death, taking more than 15,000 people annually.

Since heart disease is such a prevalent problem, prevention in the form of health habits is important, according to the American Heart Association.

For better heart health, the association advises healthy eating and getting plenty of exercise -- although there are more specific guidelines for keeping a healthy heart as one grows older -- especially as people reach their 50s, when they are encouraged to learn the signs of heart disease and heart attacks.

The signs of heart disease itself can be different for men and women, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Senior Services.

For both genders, a common symptom of coronary heart disease, according to the institute, is angina, which is felt as chest pain. But the feeling is different in women and men -- men more often feel pressure and squeezing in their chest that can extend into the arms, according to institute, while women have that feeling along with burning chest pain and sometimes pain in their abdomen, back, neck, throat and jaw. The pain can feel sharp or dull and heavy. Some women may also have silent coronary heart disease, meaning they have no symptoms until a heart attack or heart failure strikes. Men and women may also experience angina, according to medical research, at different times -- men are more likely to feel it while performing physical activity, while women are more likely to feel it while performing normal daily activity or at rest.

Symptoms of a heart attack also differ by gender. Men, according to the institute, may break out in a cold sweat and experience pain in their left arm in addition to the most common symptoms for both men and women: chest pain and upper body discomfort. However, women sometimes won't have chest pain at all. Women are more likely to also experience dizziness, according to medical research, along with nausea, fatigue and breathing problems.

More information on American Heart Month and prevention and treatment of heart disease is available at www.heart.org.

Annual Heart to Heart Luncheon is March 25

Saint Francis Medical Center's annual Heart to Heart Luncheon raises awareness of women's risk factors for heart disease and raises money for female cardiac patients who need financial help.

The event, which began in 2008, features educational exhibits and free screenings, along with a keynote speaker and meal, according to a news release from Saint Francis. Attendees are also treated to door prizes and gifts.

More than $30,000 for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Patient Scholarship fund has been raised with the annual events.

Dr. Soo Hyun (Esther) Kim, a researcher and physician at Cleveland Clinic, will be the keynote speaker for this year's event, set for March 25 at Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau.

Kim is also a publisher and co-author of book chapters on diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and an award-winning researcher. She specializes in general cardiology, preventive cardiology, women's heart health and vascular medicine. She graduated from Duke University School of Medicine and has a master's degree in public health from the University of North Carolina. She also completed an internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins before she joined the staff at Cleveland Clinic, according to the release.

Doors open at 10:30 a.m. the day of the event; lunch begins at noon. Tickets can be purchased at www.sfmc.net/hearttoheart and at the service desk of Fitness Plus. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Table sponsorship information is available by calling 573-331-5327.