Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease is a term used to talk about types of conditions that
affect the heart and blood vessels. Types of heart disease include:
- coronary heart disease (the most
common type of heart
disease
and the leading cause of heart attacks)
- heart failure
- heart arrhythmias (changes in the heart beat)
Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries (vessels that carry blood
away from the heart) of the brain. A stroke occurs when blood can’t
get to the brain because the vessels
burst or are clogged.
Risk factors are traits and habits that could increase the chances
of having a disease. There are two types of risk factors:
Non-modifiable and Modifiable.
Non-modifiable risk factors are traits we have no control over and
cannot change. These types of risk factors include…
- Age
- Race
- Gender
- Heredity/family history
Modifiable risk factors are things that we can control and change.
For heart disease, these include…
- Having high blood pressure
- Having high cholesterol
- Having diabetes
- Smoking
- Not exercising
- Chest discomfort
- Discomfort in other areas of the body such as back, neck, arms, stomach or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweats
- Nausea
- Lightheadedness
If you experience the warning signs of a heart attack, call 911 immediately!
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, mainly on one side of the body
- Sudden trouble speaking, confusion or trouble understanding
- Sudden dizziness, trouble walking, or loss of coordination
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden severe headaches with no apparent reason
If you experience the warning signs of a stroke, call 911 immediately!
You can lower your risk for a heart disease and stroke by doing the following:
- Limit alcohol intake
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Limit fat intake
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Stay physically active
- If you smoke, Quit!....Need help?, visit QuitlineNC
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables – try to eat at least 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables every day. Make your plate healthy, colorful, and fun by adding different types of fruits and veggies!
- Eat small portions of lean meat which includes red meat, poultry, and fish. On a typical day, you should eat two 3-ounce servings of lean meat. A 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of deck of cards.
Heart Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on March 27, 2008 from www.cdc.gov/heartdisease
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