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If you have carotid artery disease, you can take steps to manage the condition, reduce risk factors, and prevent complications by making lifestyle changes, following your treatment plan, and getting ongoing care. Know the stroke warning signs and call 9–1–1 for emergency help if you think you are having a stroke.

Conditions that damage or overwork the heart muscle can cause the heart to weaken, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, other heart conditions, and other factors.

Carotid artery disease is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the carotid arteries in either side of the neck. The common carotid arteries divide into internal carotid arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to your brain, and external carotid arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to your face, scalp, and neck.

The major risk factors for carotid artery disease include diabetes, family history of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, metabolic syndrome, older age, overweight or obesity, smoking, unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, and unhealthy diet.

DASH is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life.

The DASH eating plan is just one key part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, and combining it with other lifestyle changes such as physical activity can help you control your blood pressure and cholesterol.

El médico diagnostica la aterosclerosis con base en sus antecedentes médicos y familiares, un examen médico y los resultados de una o más pruebas como prueba de sangre, electrocardiograma (ECG), radiografía de tórax, índice tobillo- brazo, ecocardiografía, tomografía computarizada (CT), prueba de esfuerzo y angiografía.

Ongoing care—including heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines—speech, physical, and occupational therapy rehabilitation, and mental health care and support can help you recover from a stroke and may even help prevent another stroke. Know the stroke warning signs and call 9–1–1 for emergency help if you think you are having another stroke.

If you are living with heart failure, you should follow your lifelong treatment plan, take steps to prevent heart failure from getting worse, plan ahead, and obtain emotional support.

Heart failure is more common in people age 65 or older, blacks, people who are overweight, and people who have had a heart attack. Children who have congenital heart defects also can develop heart failure.