Women in the U.S. go for 40 million screening mammograms every year. Not only does that give them the opportunity to catch breast cancer in its early stages — when it is highly treatable, or even curable — it also provides a chance to diagnose often overlooked signs of heart disease.

That's because a mammogram can show the buildup of calcium inside the walls of your breast arteries. And a new study found that women with those calcium deposits are over 50% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, and 23% more likely to develop any type of heart disease over the next six and a half years than women without such calcium deposits seen on a mammogram.

But that's not the only headline.

While the radiologist reading your mammogram may see those calcium deposits as distinct white spots, there's no requirement that you be told they're present. Once again, the way medicine operates in distinct silos reduces the quality of care.

That means the next time you have a mammogram, ask the radiologist to let you know if there are indications of arterial calcification. And don't let them dodge the question.

If necessary, send the mammogram image to your cardiologist or primary care physician so they can help you take steps to protect you from the life-threatening consequences of heart disease.

And if you're one of the 25% of women ages 50 to 74 who haven't had a mammogram in the past two years, book one today. You can reduce your risk for hard-to-treat breast cancer — and heart disease.