Oral Contraceptive

• A report by the Yale School of Medicine states that taking oral contraceptives is one of the primary causes of heart attacks in young women. High doses of estrogen in contraceptives can increase bad cholesterol, raise blood pressure and increase risks of getting blood clots--all risk factors for heart disease.
  
  

Smoking

• The American Heart Association states that women who smoke as few as two cigarettes a day increase their risks of having heart attacks before the age of 50.
  
  

Obesity

• The Yale School of Medicine reports that obesity may cause heart attacks in young women. Women who are as little as 20 to 30 lbs. overweight increase their heart attack risks by 30 percent.
  
  

Stress

• Young women who are under a lot of stress are susceptible to heart attacks, especially if they are balancing family, jobs and personal lives.
  
  

Eating Disorders

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that eating disorders, specifically bulimia, may cause heart attacks in young women. The heart has to work harder to support the undernourished body and the extreme methods used to control weight (see Resources).