Thus, if one smokes cigarettes, one is more likely to get atherosclerosis at a younger age. Since atherosclerosis is the most common cause of both stroke and heart attack, the risk factors for atherosclerosis are also the most common risk factors for stroke and heart attack. For each risk factor that a person has, the risk of disease goes up tremendously. The risk factors do not merely add up, they multiply the risk of disease. For example, if you have one risk factor that increases your risk of stroke by 3 times and you have another risk factor that increases your risk of stroke by 4 times, then your risk of stroke is not 7 times, but 12 times greater than the risk of another person your age without any risk factors.
Atherosclerosis affects all arteries.
When a person has atherosclerosis, he or she has it in all the large arteries of the body. Atherosclerosis affects different arteries at different rates in different people. It is important, to note, however, that many patients with stroke eventually die from heart disease. Careful control of the atherosclerotic risk factors and close follow-up with your doctors will enable you to prevent brain attack and heart attack at the same time.