If you have diabetes, make sure it is controlled, by following your doctor's recommendations. Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the warning signs of stroke. Also, more strokes occur in men. African-Americans have an increased risk of stroke, which in part is thought to be related to genetic factors. A high-fat diet, high blood pressure, exessive alcohol consumption, and being overweight all increase one's risk of having a stroke.
Heart failure occurs when the heart loses the ability to pump blood efficiently through the body.
The seriousness of the condition depends on how much of the pumping capacity has been lost. Mild heart failure may have little effect on one's life, while severe heart failure interferes with even simple activities and often proves fatal. The term congestive heart failure is often used to describe all patients with heart failure. In systolic heart failure, the ability of the heart to contract decreases and the heart cannot pump enough blood into the circulation. Blood then backs up and fluid may leak into the lungs.