High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke because it damages the lining of the arteries, making them more susceptible to the buildup of plaque, which narrows the arteries leading to the heart and brain. About 116 million US adults (nearly 1 in 2) have high blood pressure, defined as 130/80 mm Hg or higher. Only about 1 in 4 of these people have their high blood pressure under control. About 7 in 10 people who have a first heart attack and 8 in 10 people who have a first stroke have high blood pressure.
Eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. Americans aged 2 years or older consume an average of about 3,400 mg of sodium each day, well over the 2,300 mg recommended by theDietary Guidelines for Americans. More than 70% of the sodium Americans consume is added outside the home (before purchase), not added as salt at the table or during home cooking.
High LDL cholesterol can double a person’s risk of heart disease. That’s because excess cholesterol can build up in the walls of arteries and limit blood flow to a person’s heart, brain, kidneys, other organs, and legs. Although nearly 86 million US adults could benefit from taking medicine to manage their high LDL cholesterol, only about half (55%) are doing so.
People can improve their blood pressure and cholesterol levels by eating a healthy diet that is low in sodium, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medicines as recommended.
CDC’s Response
CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention(DHDSP) works with partners across government, public health, health care, and private sectors to improve prevention, detection, and control of heart disease and stroke risk factors, with a focus on high blood pressure and high cholesterol. DHDSP also works to improve recognition of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke and the quality of care prior to and following these events.
Through its scientific and programmatic investments, DHDSP advances proven strategies such as using electronic health records to identify patients at risk and using teams to deliver high-quality care. These teams extend beyond the doctors and nurses to include pharmacists, community health workers, and others outside of the doctor’s office. The division also promotes strategies that link patients to community programs and resources that help them take their medicines consistently, manage their risks, and make healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, becoming more physically active, or losing weight.
The following major programs support the division’s goals:
- DHDSP funds heart disease and stroke prevention and management activities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 12 tribes, 23 tribal-serving organizations, 5 large cities or counties, and 2 groups of city and county health departments. These programswork to reduce risk factors for heart disease and stroke and eliminate health disparities through community and health system interventions.
- WISEWOMAN funds 21 states and 3 tribal organizations to reduce heart disease and stroke risk factors for women aged 40 to 64 with low incomes and little or no health insurance.
- The Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Programfunds 13 states to use coordinated systems of care to improve the quality of care for patients who have a stroke.
Million Hearts® provides national leadership to promote changes in communities and health care systems across the country to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
FAQs
Common heart disorders can increase your risk for stroke. For example, coronary artery disease increases your risk for stroke, because plaque builds up in the arteries and blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain.
Can you live a long life with heart disease? ›
Overall, life expectancy may decrease by about 8-10% of your expected life. For example, a person with no heart disease will be expected to die around age 85, but in the presence of a heart attack, the life expectancy will be reduced by 10% or 8.5 years.
What are the four signs of an impending heart attack? ›
Heart attack signs and symptoms in men and women: Chest pain or discomfort; Shortness of breath; Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder; Feeling nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired.
Can a heart attack and a stroke happen at the same time? ›
Simultaneous cardiocerebral infarction can be diagnosed by the presence of simultaneous acute onset of a focal neurological deficit, indicating acute stroke and a chest pain or evidence of myocardial infarction such as changes of electrocardiogram and the elevation of cardiac enzymes (3, 10–13).
What heart defects cause strokes? ›
Congenital heart disease can let a blood clot pass through the heart and travel to the brain, causing a stroke.
Are strokes common in heart failure? ›
In summary, patients with HF often have many risk factors for stroke, such as AF, and HF itself also increases the stroke risk. For these reasons, patients with HF have a greater incidence of stroke than the general population.
What is the average lifespan of a person with heart disease? ›
Research estimates that more than half of all people with congestive heart failure will survive for 5 years after diagnosis. About 35% will survive for 10 years. However, in some cases, a person can extend their life expectancy through lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery.
Can you live 20 years with heart disease? ›
In general, about half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive 5 years. About 30% will survive for 10 years. In patients who receive a heart transplant, about 21% of patients are alive 20 years later.
Can you fully recover from heart disease? ›
Can you recover from heart disease? Once you've been diagnosed with heart disease, you can't be cured. But you can treat the things that contributed to the development of coronary artery disease. In turn, this can reduce how the condition impacts your body.
Does your body warn you before a heart attack? ›
Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.
Warning signs of a heart attack that can occur a month beforehand include chest discomfort, fatigue, and shortness of breath. A heart attack is a medical emergency in which the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked.
What are 3 weird symptoms of an oncoming heart attack? ›
They include:
- Dizziness or fainting.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Pain, numbness, pinching or other uncomfortable sensation in your arm, jaw, back or stomach.
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing deeply.
- Unexplained sweating or cool, clammy skin.
- Unusual fatigue.
Heart disease and stroke are 2 of the top killers among both women and men in the U.S. Nationwide, someone dies from a heart attack about every 90 seconds, and stroke kills someone about every 4 minutes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Where is the pain located during a heart attack? ›
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.
Did I have a stroke or a heart attack? ›
Symptoms of heart attack versus stroke. Symptoms of a stroke can often be easier to discern than those of a heart attack . One of the main distinctions is that a stroke tends to cause a sudden and serious neurological symptom, while the main symptom of a heart attack is chest pain.
Can you have a stroke with a healthy heart? ›
Even when doing your best to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, strokes can still occur. If this occurs, it is easiest to remember the acronym F.A.S.T. indicating the immediate need for emergency services.
What are the three main causes of strokes? ›
Factors that you can control account for 82% to 90% of all strokes:
- High blood pressure.
- Obesity.
- Physical inactivity.
- Poor diet.
- Smoking.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are leading causes of stroke.
Is a stroke related to the heart or brain? ›
Heart attacks and strokes have quite a bit in common: They are both medical emergencies caused by a sudden cut-off in blood flow. In a heart attack, the blood flow to your heart is suddenly blocked. A stroke occurs because of a sudden interruption of blood flow in your brain.
