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According to the National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, heart disease and stroke –
the principal components of cardiovascular disease – account
for nearly 40% of all deaths each year. They are the leading
causes of death for both men and women, amounting to one
death every 33 seconds.
Stroke
In the U.S., someone suffers a stroke every 53 seconds,
nearly 600,000 each year. It is America's third leading
cause of death.
What is a Stroke?
There are two types of stroke – ischemic (iss-kee-mik)
and hemorrhagic (heh-muh-ra-jik).
An ischemic stroke
occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked, causing
a loss of blood and oxygen to the affected part of the
brain. Once the nerve cells can't work, that area of the
brain dies and the part of the body it controls is unable to
function.
There is also what is called a "mini stroke" or transient
ischemic attack (TIA). This occurs when a blood vessel to
the brain is blocked for a short time, causing less blood to
reach the brain. Someone experiencing a TIA may have
weakness on one side of the body, loss of vision, tingling
and numbness, and/or problems talking and walking. It may
last for a few minutes or several hours. Although many
people are unaware they've experienced a TIA, it usually is
a precursor to a major stroke.
A hemorrhagic stroke
occurs when a blood vessel ruptures and blood goes into the
brain.
Warning Signs of a Stroke
A majority of stroke victims are unaware they are
experiencing a stroke and don't seek emergency help until
more than 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. Seeking
emergency help immediately is crucial, the longer the delay,
the more damage a stroke can do and the less recovery can be
achieved.
Call 911 immediately, even if these warning signs go
away:
- sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg,
especially on one side of the body
- sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding
speech
- sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or
coordination
- sudden severe headache with no known cause
blurred or double vision, drowsiness, and nausea or
vomiting
Stroke Prevention Guidelines
- Lower blood pressure
Hypertension is the most important risk factor for a stroke
and to reduce your chances of a stroke, it is essential to
prevent or manage high blood pressure. Lowering blood
pressure 5 points can reduce the risk of a stroke by 42%.
- Stop smoking
Smoking doubles your risk for stroke.
- Drink alcohol in moderation
Studies show 2 drinks a day can lower your risk of stroke by
half, more than this can increase your risk by three times.
- Lower cholesterol
High cholesterol increases your risk of a stroke, low
cholesterol reduces your risk.
- Physical activity
Include physical activity in your daily routine, as little
as 30 minutes a day may reduce your risk for stroke.
- Low salt, low fat diet
By reducing sodium and fat in your diet, you may be able to
lower your blood pressure and lower your risk for stroke.
- Control diabetes, if diabetic
Diabetes puts you at an increased risk for stroke; by
controlling your diabetes, you may lower your risk.
- Find out if you have atrial fibrillation (AF)
AF is an irregular heart beat that allows blood to collect
in the heart chambers which can be released in the form of
blood clots into your blood stream, causing a stroke.
- Circulation problems
Fatty deposits, caused by atherosclerosis or other diseases,
can block the arteries which carry blood from your heart to
your brain. If left untreated, can cause stroke.
Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the #1 cause of death in
the U.S. and kills more than 700,000 people each year.
Heart Attack Warning Signs
- Chest discomfort
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the
chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away
and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure,
squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body
Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms,
the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath
This feeling often comes along with chest discomfort. But it
can occur before the chest discomfort.
- Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Heart Attack Risk Factors
Some risk factors can be changed or treated, some cannot.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of
heart attack or stroke. Controlling as many of these risk
factors as possible is the best way to keep your heart
healthy.
- Increasing age
About 85 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease
are age 65 or older.
- Male gender
Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women, and they
have attacks earlier in life. Even after menopause, when
women's death rate from heart disease increases, it's not as
great as men's.
- Heredity (including race)
A family history of coronary heart disease in parents,
siblings or offspring is a major risk factor. African
Americans have more severe high blood pressure than whites.
Consequently, their risk of heart disease is greater.
- Smoking
Smokers' risk of heart attack is 2-4 times more than that of
nonsmokers. Studies show that chronic exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke, passive
smoking) may increase the risk of heart disease.
- High cholesterol
The risk of coronary heart disease and stroke rises as blood
cholesterol levels increase. When other risk factors (such
as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke) are present, this
risk increases even more. A person's cholesterol level is
also affected by age, gender, heredity and diet.
- High blood pressure
High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing
the heart to enlarge and weaken over time. It also increases
the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and
congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists
with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels or
diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases
several times.
- Physical inactivity
Lack of physical activity is a risk factor for coronary
heart disease.
- Obesity and overweight
People with excess body fat are more likely to develop heart
disease and stroke, as excess weight increases the strain on
the heart.
- Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes increases the risk of developing cardiovascular
disease. Even when controlled, diabetes increases the risk
of heart disease and stroke. Seventy-five percent of
diabetics die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.
- Stress
Some studies show a relationship between coronary heart
disease risk and stress.
Reducing Your Chances of a Heart Attack
- Lower cholesterol
- Stop smoking
- Lower blood pressure
- Physical activity
Moderate to vigorous exercise 30 minutes a day plays a
significant role in preventing heart and blood vessel
disease
- Recognize and treat diabetes
- Maintain a healthy weight
Losing as little as 10-20 pounds can lower your heart
disease risk
- Eat healthy foods
Particularly those low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and
sodium
- Limit alcohol consumption
Additional Information
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