Kootenai Heart Center, in Coeur d'Alene, is providing low-cost screenings this month to measure patients' risk factors for heart disease.

The screenings are open to everyone, but the main focus is to encourage women to be more aware of their heart health.

"For many people, they assume that signs of a heart attack are tightness in the chest, radiating pains in their arm, and so on," says Joyce Kratz-Klatt, supervisor of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, at the heart center, which is on the Kootenai Medical Center campus. "But symptoms can differ from person to person."

The screenings are conducted from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, by appointment, in the heart center lobby. The cost is $15 for a participant's first screening, and $20 if they have had a previous screening, Kootenai Health says.

A screening takes about 15 minutes, and includes cholesterol, blood-pressure, and body-mass index readings. Participants' test results will be reviewed, and they then will be referred to resources that can help with their specific needs.

To register for a heart screening, Kootenai Health is asking people to call (208) 666-2083. It says participants should not eat for eight to 12 hours before the screening, and drink only water.