ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A New Mexico woman wants others to know that the symptoms of a heart attack aren't always clear and that it can happen to anyone.

As it did to her when she was 43 years old.

Shayai Lucero was 43 years old when she suffered a "widow-maker" heart attack - a full blockage in your heart's largest artery. She said the survival rate is "less than 12%."

Lucero is now a board member of the American Heart Association of New Mexico. She says Native American communities see a higher number, in terms of heart disease.

Since her heart attack, she has made it her mission to educate women about heart health.

"I felt that, by sharing my story, sharing my experience, that maybe there's others, especially women, out there who could survive their heart attack or cardiac arrest," Lucero said.

She says symptoms are different in women than men. She says shoulder aches, nausea and heartburn are among the symptoms but there are others to keep in mind, like jaw pain and lightheadedness. Even bumps on your arms can be calcium, an early sign too, she says.

"Because of that calcium, whenever there is any cholesterol that goes through your arteries, because everyone has an amount of cholesterol, it will attach itself to that little spot. And so what it was doing, it was slowly building up, that calcium, and then it was, because it was leaching through my arms that is another symptom women can look for," Lucero said.

Lucero said, in recent years, doctors run a new test to measure your level of calcium. There are eight life essentials to improve and keep up with cardiovascular health: