About 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes happen every year in the United States. You can’t change some of your risks for heart disease and stroke, but you can manage many of your risks by following a healthy lifestyle.
Heart attacks in men and women (at ≥ 45 years of age):
Mozzafarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, Arnett DK, Blaha MJ, Cushman M, et al. on behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2016 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2016;133:e38–360.
Stroke:
Mozzafarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, Arnett DK, Blaha MJ, Cushman M, et al. on behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2016 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2016;133:e38–360.
High Blood Pressure:
Cogswell ME, Zhang Z, Carriquiry AL, Gunn JP, Kuklina EV, Saydah SH, et al. Sodium and potassium intakes among US adults: NHANES 2003–2008. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:647–57.
Cardiovascular disease risks:
Physical Inactivity: (percentage of American adults who engaged in no leisure time physical activity in 2014; estimates for other years and by demographics are available on the Healthy People 2020 website): CDC. Physical activity: Adults engaging in no leisure-time physical activity (age adjusted, percent, 18+ years). Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/data-search/Search-the-Data?nid=5052 on June 21, 2016.
Obesity: Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS data brief no. 219. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for Health Statistics; 2015.
High Cholesterol (≥240 mg/dL) Among Adults Aged 20 and Older: Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Kit BK. Total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS data brief no. 226. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for Health Statistics; 2015.
High Blood Pressure: Yoon SS, Fryar CD, Carroll MD. Hypertension prevalence and control among adults: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS data brief no. 220. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for Health Statistics; 2015.
Cigarette Smoking: Jamal A, Homa DH, O’Connor E, Babb SD, Caraballo RS, Singh T, et al. Current cigarette smoking among adults—United States, 2005–2014. MMWR 2015;64(44):1233–40.
Diabetes: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes statistics report, 2014: estimates of diabetes and its burden in the United States. Atlanta (GA): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2014.
Many risks for heart disease and stroke—including high blood pressure and high cholesterol—may not have any symptoms. Many of these risks—specifically high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity—are preventable and controllable. Controlling these risks could reduce your risk for heart attack or stroke by more than 80%.
Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: