Cardiovascular disease includes all diseases of the heart and vascular system, including heart disease and stroke. 

 Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death for men and women in the United States.  In 2005 alone, heart disease claimed the lives of 652,091 people in the United States.  As of 2006, 24.1 million people, or 11% of the population, have been diagnosed with heart disease.   

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, and accounts for nearly 160,000 deaths each year.  A stroke is often called a “brain attack.”  A stroke can either occur when a blood vessel leading to the brain becomes blocked, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.  This causes damage to the brain, and can lead to disability, such as speech loss or impairment, and paralysis, or death. 

There are many things that can increase your risk for heart disease or stroke. These are called “risk factors.”  In general, the more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.  Some of these risk factors you can’t control, such as increasing age, race, or gender, but for the most part, you can modify, treat, or control most risk factors to lower your risk. Risk factors for heart disease and stroke include:

 If you’d like to learn more about heart disease or stroke, including more information on risk factors and signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, please visit the Utah Department of Health’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program at www.hearthighway.org/heart.  You can also visit the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/ .   If you’d like to reduce your risk for heart disease or stroke, we’re here to help!  The Weber-Morgan Health Department offers: Cardiovascular information:A variety of CVD information is available to the public at no cost.  Topics include increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet, general nutrition, physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.   Cardiovascular Presentations:

A health educator specialized in Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is available to conduct presentations on cardiovascular disease, nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and many other CVD related topics at your worksite, business/organization, or school.  Please call (801) 399-7187 for more information.