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In the United States, more than 650,000 people die from heart disease and many more are disabled each year. Heart disease is the leading cause of death and accounts for about 27% of all U.S. deaths. While the term heart disease includes several specific heart conditions, the most common is coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack.

There are steps that you can take to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. Knowing and preventing your controllable risk factors is the first step. The risk factors that you control include diet, activity level, weight, tobacco use and sodium intake.

It also is important to know and act on the early signs of a heart attack. The quicker that a person seeks medical attention during a heart attack the more positive the outcomes. People that have had a heart attack also can reduce their risk of future attacks.

To learn more about managing your risk factors and responding to the signs and symptoms of a heart attack check out Kentucky Heart Foundation's educational materials.