The survey was sponsored by The Queen's Medical Center as part of its emphasis on the newly opened heart center. Consultant Market Strategies polled 500 women ages 40 to 70 in August 2002. The survey looked at women's awareness and perception of heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in Hawai'i and nationally.

Queen's cardiologist Dr. Joana Magno highlighted some of the key findings:

• 78 percent of Honolulu women surveyed were at risk for a heart attack but only 25 percent know they are in danger.

• 40 percent of the women believe that breast cancer is the greatest threat to their health, compared with 31 percent who perceived heart disease as a bigger danger. The reality is that 43 percent die of heart disease and 4 percent die of breast cancer.

• 69 percent of women surveyed said heart disease screening is as important as an annual mammogram but only 21 percent reported any heart-related testing.

Magno said heart disease is preventable with awareness, diet and exercise to reduce risk factors and knowledge of some of the more subtle signs of heart disease. "Women can just have fatigue, breathlessness, maybe a little nausea," she said.

In 1992 Vanessa Whang, 34 years old and the mother of a 1-year-old girl, suffered a massive heart attack.

Whang said her life was filled with "excessive eating, smoking and drinking and not exercising." She went to the emergency room complaining of chest pains, had a heart attack, "flatlined" and regained a heartbeat after 15 minutes of CPR. She said she spent the next 30 days in a coma but eventually recovered although the incident left her with only about half the heart function she once had.

"I hope all women would pay attention," Whang said.

Magno said risk factors for heart disease include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, weighing at least 20 pounds more than their ideal weight, smoking, family history of heart attacks or heart disease and estrogen deficiency.

Queen's is offering a free initial screening to women who call 547-GIFT (547-4438) which can give a basic risk assessment. Hospital officials chose to announce the survey results the week of Mother's Day to help draw attention to the need for women to take care of themselves.

They got some help with their message from Leslie Lam, former Mrs. Hawai'i and Mrs. America 2000. Lam is 38, slim, fit, beautiful and needs a pacemaker to help keep her alive and healthy.

Lam said a family history of heart disease still hadn't prepared her for what to watch for until she started feeling tired all the time. "You tend to take care of your family first — your children, your husband."

Whang was at the other end of the fitness spectrum but just as uninformed about the risk of heart disease. She estimates she smoked at least two packs of cigarettes a day before her heart attack, drank too much, ate poorly and was overweight. She lost weight after her illness and then gained most of it back.

In the past year, she lost 30 pounds and got back to exercising, walking with leg weights and urging her 11-year-old daughter to join her. "I've been doing OK since then."

Whang, who doesn't work because of her heart disability, said she's become much more health-conscious. "I love junk food," she said, "but if I want to keep on going with life, I gotta watch what I eat."