Experiencing a stroke or heart attack can be life-threatening. These are the leading causes of death globally. While a stroke is characterized by arm weakness, speech difficulties, and drooping in the face, a heart attack may also cause chest discomfort, pain throughout the body, shortness of breath, and other symptoms like cold sweat, nausea and dizziness.
To avoid these silent killers, it’s important to be aware of all possible risk factors. According to the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke and heart disease risk factors include high blood pressure and high-density cholesterol (LDL), smoking, secondhand smoker exposure, obesity and unhealthy diet.
If you have any of these risk factors, it’s important to take steps to reduce your risk. For example, if you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health. If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight can help reduce your risk. And if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, taking medication and making lifestyle changes can help get these under control.
Making even small changes can make a big difference in your health. So if you’re concerned about your risk of stroke or heart attack, talk to your doctor about what you can do to reduce your risk.
