CLEVELAND -- Most women have a pretty good idea what they need to do to take care of their heart, but many may not know just how important it is.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, but often it is preventable, NewsChannel5's Alicia Booth reported.

University Hospitals cardiologist Anne Hamick said there are three things you can start doing now to improve your heart health.

No. 1 is to quit smoking. Hamick said that more than 50 percent of people who come in with heart attacks are smokers.

No. 2 on the list is tell yourself you've eaten your last french fry.

"Anything that drips with grease, you know is bad for you. Anything that looks like it's that way, if it's a potato chip, french fry, avoid," Hamick said.

Hamick links diet with exercise. She said all you need to do is get your heart pumping a little faster for 30 minutes a day.

Start today and you'll see a difference in no time, Hamick said.

"One of the first things that we see happen when people start to exercise is a decrease in the blood pressure, and that can happen after a couple weeks of exercise," she said.

No. 3 on the list is to know your numbers. Make an appointment to get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked.

Things can change quickly, and you have to put your heart first.

For more information on heart disease and the Go Red For Women campaign, go to the American Heart Association's Web site.