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Taking action to control your risk factors—through heart-healthy eating, maintaining a healthy weight, physical activity, and quitting smoking—can help prevent or delay carotid artery disease and stroke.

A heart attack happens if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked and the heart can't get oxygen. Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary heart disease. A less common cause is a severe spasm of the coronary artery.

Carotid artery disease seems to start when damage occurs to the inner layers of the carotid arteries. The buildup of plaque or blood clots can severely narrow or block the carotid arteries, which limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain.

Some people who have cardiomyopathy never have signs or symptoms or only have signs and symptoms in later stages of the disease. As cardiomyopathy worsens and the heart weakens, signs and symptoms of heart failure—trouble breathing, fatigue, and swelling—usually occur.

Your doctor will diagnose peripheral artery disease based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and results from one or more tests: ankle-brachial index, Doppler ultrasound, treadmill test, magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), arteriogram, and blood tests.

Most people who have mitral valve prolapse don’t have any symptoms of the condition. When mitral valve prolapse does cause signs and symptoms, they can include: palpitations, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, migraine headaches, and chest discomfort. Complications of mitral valve prolapse include arrhythmias and infection of the mitral valve.

Heart valve disease is a lifelong condition. See your doctor regularly for ongoing care and to determine how this condition may affect pregnancy.

Your doctor will diagnose metabolic syndrome based on the results of a physical exam and blood tests. You must have at least three of the five metabolic risk factors—a large waistline, a high triglyceride level, a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugar—to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

Physical activity is any body movement that works your muscles, which requires more energy than resting. Examples include walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga, and gardening. Exercise is a type of planned or structured physical activity.

The main sign of heart valve disease is an unusual heartbeat sound called a heart murmur.