Heart disease will kill approximately one in three Wyoming residents, and it's the number one killer of men and women, said Dr. John Pickrell, a Casper cardiologist.

Heart disease is a generic term for a variety of heart conditions, Pickrell said. What most people are referring to when they say heart disease is the hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart attacks.

"Artery disease is the number one killer in Western society," Pickrell said. "Just the numbers are bigger than cancer or HIV."

Women are commonly worried about getting their mammograms, Pickrell said, but they should be more worried about reducing their risk factors for heart disease.

These risk factors include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and genetics - the one factor people can't change.

A person's blood pressure should be less than 120/80 and total cholesterol should be less than 200, according to the American Heart Association.

People in their 30s or 40s should find out what their blood pressure and cholesterol numbers are.

"As you start to get older, you want to start to understand your risks for heart disease," Pickrell said.

In Wyoming, people smoke more, Pickrell said. But obesity is less of a problem here because of Wyomingites' active lifestyles.

Behavioral changes, such as quitting smoking, exercising and eating healthier can help reduce a person's risk of heart disease.

Medications can help, too. There are medications to help lower blood pressure or cholesterol and one to help someone quit smoking.

Pickrell said a viable screening tool for heart disease doesn't exist. However, if he has a patient with high risk factors who has symptoms, Pickrell said he could do a stress test or other test to see if the person has artery disease.

Many times a person does not know they have heart disease until they have a heart attack, Pickrell said.

Though the cardiologist said he would much rather help a patient prevent heart disease from occurring, he reminds people if they are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack to seek medical attention immediately.

These symptoms include chest tightness or heaviness, shortness of breath, a drop off in ability to exercise, cold sweats during exercise or fainting spells.

"Don't sit and wait," Pickrell said. "Don't drive yourself from Midwest. An ambulance can monitor you. If you get to our doors, we can get you help rather quickly."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.