Doctors say people can avoid cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. These are the leading causes of death. A study from doctors in Chicago and in South Korea said that more than 99 per cent of people who had a heart attack or stroke had at least one warning sign. The doctors said there were some big signs of these, like high blood pressure, cholesterol, high blood sugar, and smoking and drinking. People can reduce all of these things if they change their lifestyles. The most effective changes are to eat a healthier diet, to exercise, and to quit smoking and drinking.

In the study, doctors analyzed 10 years of health records of more than nine million people. Nearly all of these patients could have stopped a heart attack. A researcher said: "We have known for many years that there is a small number of [changeable] risk factors for heart disease, and…often more than one is present…leading up to heart attacks, heart failure, or strokes." He said we needed to treat the factors that lead to heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. The researcher said the goal was to work on finding ways to control risk factors.