Although huge strides have been made in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, it remains the leading cause of death and disability among Americans. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce your odds of developing cardiovascular disease in the first place. Or if you have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, you can work with your healthcare team to develop a plan aimed at preventing a heart attack or stroke, avoiding angina, and reducing your risk for developing blockages in the arteries that supply blood to your limbs (peripheral artery disease, or PAD) or kidneys (renal artery disease). 

Before you sit down and make a plan, there are important things you need to know:

First, everyone is at risk for cardiovascular disease. You need to know your individual risk factors and what to do about them. There is a lot of good information on this website and other places on the Internet to help you.

Second, some risk factors can be treated or controlled, and some cannot. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing cardiovascular disease. And the more risk factors you can eliminate or reduce, the better your chances of preventing and controlling cardiovascular disease.

Let’s Get Started

• Step 1 – Take a look at the cardiovascular risk factors you may be able to control.
• Step 2 – Understand the risk factors you cannot control.
• Step 3 -- Analyze what each risk factor means.
• Step 4 -- Discuss how to measure your risk.
• Step 5 -- Outline strategies for managing cardiovascular risk.