Summary:
- Eating right, exercising, and not smoking can help keep your arteries healthy.
- As plaque builds up, it narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow.
- A blocked blood vessel in the heart can cause a heart attack.
- A stroke is a loss of brain function due to a blockage of the blood supply to the brain.
- Risk factors for stroke include old age, high blood pressure, having a previous stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking.
- The best way to reduce the risk of stroke is to have low blood pressure.