A stroke is a serious cardiovascular condition, where in the brain is affected because blood supply that contains oxygen needed by the brain is disrupted because an artery or a blood vessel is blocked or damaged. Strokes should be taken seriously and you should know the risk factors. If your family is genetically prone for having strokes, you should attempt to reduce your risk by not smoking or drinking alcohol. Most people survive the stroke but are left handicapped to some extent.

Strokes are categorized in two major types, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic types of strokes are subdivided depending on the cause and these include thrombosis, embolism and systemic hypoperfusion or venous thrombosis. Hemorrhagic stroke is subcategorized into intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Coronary heart disease is the primary cause of death in America today, and smoking is a major cause of this illness. Smoking is very bad to your body, especially to the heart and lungs. Toxins in cigarettes can cause plaque to form within the arteries and eventually lead to arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Some individuals start smoking at a very young age and in their adult years it may be very hard to quit the habit of smoking. Teaching young individuals the dangers of smoking and the health complications it can bring to their bodies is very important. Many may disregard this information and sometimes it is too late when they finally realize smoking can harm their health.