Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Although most strokes occur in people over the age of 65, strokes can and do occur at any age. Changing behavior and lifestyle is crucial. The CDC estimates that if tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity were eliminated, 80% of stroke would be prevented.

There are five diseases included in a broader category of chronic diseases: cardiac heart disease, high cholesterol, heart attack, stroke and hypertension (high blood pressure). These diseases are long-term illnesses that many individuals can manage through lifestyle changes and healthcare interventions. However, they do place a burden on many of the affected individuals by constraining options and activities available to them and can result in expensive and ongoing expenditures for health care.

All measures are self-reported by respondents to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Resources for heart and vascular diseases are at National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute as well as at the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, CDC.