I really don't know how I could have missed the fact that within one year of having a heart attack, 42 percent of women will die and 24 percent of men. See for yourself at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics website.

Actor Jack Nicholson realistically acted the post-heart attack depression that 50 percent of survivors experience following a heart attack. His character experiences an unusual (for him) emotional moment in Nancy Meyer's 2003 comedy "Something's Gotta Give" with Diane Keaton.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, Bobby Z, aka Robert Rivkin, will celebrate the one-year anniversary of surviving his heart attack with a rare reunion performance to benefit the American Heart Association with the help of his former bandmates.

Antioxidant-rich cranberry juice may boost heart health by decreasing arterial stiffness, according to a recent Tufts and Boston University study.

Laughter is good for the heart -- and soul. The "Map of a Woman's Heart" (D.W. Kellogg & Co. circa 1833-1842), brings me such glee that I hope you will indulge me as I take you on a tour of it for Valentine's Day.

Patricia Butts, First Lady of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, has written rap lyrics to help women remember the seven signs of a woman's heart attack -- not the same as for a man.

A large percentage of women and health care providers still don't know that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, just as it is for men. And most women still don't think it can happen to them.

My plea to health care providers is to pay attention and do the obvious: ask your patients about their overall mood, their sense of self, their family life, and their work.