One in 10 American women 45 to 64 years of age has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in four women over 65. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women. Both heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular diseases, which are disorders of the heart and blood vessel system.
Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to the heart.
When too little blood flows to the heart, angina results. When the blood flow is critically reduced, a heart attack occurs. A lack of blood flow to the brain or, in some cases, bleeding in the brain causes a stroke. Some other cardiovascular diseases are high blood pressure and rheumatic heart disease. Risk factors are habits or traits that make a person more likely to develop a disease.