Wish mom a happy and healthy Mother's day

In addition to giving Mom a card or flowers today, we should take time on this Mother's Day to urge all the women in our lives to remember to take better care of themselves. Sometimes mothers are so concerned about the health and well-being of their families that they fail to look after their own needs.

The American Heart Association says more than half a million women will die of cardiovascular disease this year. This figure is more than the number of the next four causes of death for women combined.

While deaths from heart disease in the United States have dropped by half over the last 25 years, more women than men are dying from heart attacks. The AHA says new research indicates specific factors and symptoms are unique to a woman's heart. These differences may account for the fact a woman is more likely than a man to die after her first heart attack.

The symptoms of cardiovascular disease for women can include pain in the jawbone, pain under the breastbone, unexplained fatigue, difficulty breathing or indigestion. Sometimes heart disease is misdiagnosed as anxiety, indigestion or a gallbladder problem.

The AHA website, americanheart.org, provides information about awareness, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society says more than 70 percent of all breast cancer cases involve women who are 50 or older. Early detection and new treatment options may save their lives. In fact, physicians say early detection is vital for lowering the mortality rates for the disease.

Calling attention to the importance of regular breast exams seems to be working. Even so, more needs to be done to get the word out.

Low-cost or free mammography screening is available to women who are over 40 and underinsured or uninsured. For more information, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 888-842-6355 or visit its website at cdc.gov.