Community Corner

Heart Health on People's Minds Following Death of James Gandolfini

Heart Health on People's Minds Following Death of James Gandolfini.

Written by Angela Sykora.
The untimely death of 51-year-old actor James Gandolfini on June 19 has sparked a lot of conversation about how relatively young the Sopranos star was to have suffered an apparent heart attack, but unfortunately, it's not rare.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 40 percent of men and 34.4 percent of women ages 40 to 59 have cardiovascular disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States, according to the CDC. About 600,000 Americans die of heart disease each year, and about 715,000 have a heart attack.

Key risk factors for a heart attack are high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and smoking, according to the CDC. Being diabetic, overweight or obese, eating a poor diet, not exercising and excessive drinking place people at a higher risk for heart disease.

Assess your risk for a heart attack with the American Heart Association's heart attack risk calculator. Take a heart health quiz and learn to fight off heart disease and stroke.

What's your actual age based on lifestyle? Go towww.realage.com and take the test.

Tell Us: Has James Gandolfini's death got you thinking more about your health? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments.
  


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