Cardiovascular disease kills one American woman every minute.

That's why the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute began "The Heart Truth," a call to action for women to protect their heart health .

But sometimes, doing everything right isn't enough.

"My name is Chris Steiger," the woman said. "I'm married, to a wonderful man named Jim. And I have two kids. My son is Noah, and he's 12 and a daughter, Lily, who's 9."

Steiger had always been the picture of health, or so she thought.

"Four days after my 39th birthday, I had a heart attack which was quite surprising because prior to that I was in the best shape of my life. I was exercising every day, running five miles a day, and eating healthy," Stieger said.

She was on her way to dinner with her family when something strange occurred.

"I was taking my daughter from the car and setting her down and felt a sharp pain in my left arm, right above my elbow and just honestly thought I had pulled a muscle when I set her down," Steiger said.

But the symptoms didn't subside. In fact, they got worse.

"As moments went on my whole arm felt numb," Steiger said.

When she began to feel light-headed and experienced pressure in her chest, her husband took her to the emergency room. Doctors soon discovered that Steiger had suffered a heart attack.

"They put in two stents and determined that I had a 90 to 95 percent blockage," Steiger said.

She became even more dedicated to her healthy lifestyle which was why she was shocked when she ended up in the hospital again.

"I had a second heart attack almost five years later," Steiger said.

Steiger had no family history so she never expected she was at risk.

"This story just illustrates that young women are at risk for heart disease as well as older women and that all women across all age ranges should be aware of their risk," said Dr. Nakela Cook, of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Stieger takes medication daily, exercises and continues to watch her diet, but her own experience has taught her the value of being vigilant about her health.

"My doctor told me that if I had ignored my symptoms anymore I would have gone home and probably just never woken up one day," Steiger said. "And I have a husband, I have two kids and to lose all that just because I was afraid to go to the doctor and get checked out is just ridiculous."

The signs of a heart attack differ from men to women. If you have pain in your jaw or neck, or if you have nausea or heart burn, those could be signs there is something wrong with your heart.

If it feels unusual for you, the best advice would be to go to the doctor.