Heart Disease
'Heart Disease' refers to a few types of heart conditions.
About 1 in 5 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2022.
The most common type of heart disease is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). CAD can cause heart attacks.
Preventing Heart Disease
The choices you make can help you from getting heart disease. First, it is important to know your risk factors for heart disease. Risk factors are the things that make it more likely that you will get heart disease.
Risk factors include:
High blood pressure and high cholesterol
Choices like food, exercise, and alcohol and tobacco use
Family history of heart disease
Age
Some risk factors like age and family history cannot be changed. Making changes to your lifestyle and seeing your provider for check-ups, also called preventive screenings, can help you control many risk factors.
Learn more about preventing heart disease:
Stroke
A stroke happens when there is not enough blood going to your brain. Without blood, the brain is not getting oxygen and the brain cells begin to die. Stroke is a major cause of disabilities, and stroke risk increases with age, but strokes can—and do—occur at any age.
What are the signs of stroke in men and women?
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Preventing Strokes
Like preventing heart disease, you can help prevent strokes by making healthy lifestyle choices. The risk factors for stroke are the same as for heart disease. Some of the health conditions are also the same, but include having diabetes.
Make lifestyle changes like eating healthy and getting more exercise. If you drink alcohol, reduce the amount you drink or quit drinking. If you smoke, work towards quitting. Learn more about quitting smoking on our Tobacco Cessation & Prevention page by clicking here - Tobacco Cessation. And remember to see your doctor for check-ups as part of your prevention plan.
Learn more about preventing a stroke:
