When you choose healthy behaviors, you can lower your heart disease risk as well as the risk for ongoing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and some cancers. To help maintain a healthy heart and prevent heart events it is important to live a heart-healthy life.
To take control of your health, you need to know and understand your numbers. These tests are commonly done at yearly medical exams: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and body mass index. Understanding what the numbers mean can help you understand your risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts. If you think you are having a stroke, you should call 9-1-1 immediately.
F - Face droops
A - Arm drifts
S - Speech slurs
T - Time is critical: Call 9-1-1
A heart attack is a life-threatening emergency. Call 911 if you or someone else is experiencing the following symptoms of a heart attack:
This is the most common type of heart disease in the U.S., but a lot can be done to prevent and manage it. Avoiding smoking, eating healthy, exercising regularly, reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight are all steps that can be taken. Medical treatments are also available for coronary artery disease (CAD) and can help prevent more serious medical events such as stroke and heart attack. Some signs of CAD are:
More formally known as Congestive Heart Failure, this condition is when your heart isn't able to pump blood as well as it should and can lead to other serious or even life-threatening health problems.
Heart failure signs:
Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, most often referred to as the DASH eating plan, is a heart healthy eating plan that helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and lowers the risk of many other chronic conditions.
