What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease (which includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease) affects the heart by narrowing the arteries and reducing the amount of blood the heart receives, which makes the heart work harder. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death across all racial and ethnic groups accounting for more than 40% of all annual deaths in the U.S.

Cardiovascular conditions often come without pain or obvious symptoms. For that reason, it often goes untreated. This can lead to even more serious health issues, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney damage. What is especially dangerous about cardiovascular disease is that you can have more than one condition at the same time without even knowing it.

You can get diabetes if your body does not use insulin right. Insulin in your body changes the sugars in food into energy. Type 1 diabetes happens when your body destroys its own cells that make insulin. Type 2 diabetes happens when your body doesn't make enough insulin. Diabetes affects women of all ages. Almost one in 10 Hispanics/Latinos is diagnosed with diabetes. Hispanics/Latinos are almost twice as likely as whites of the same age to have diabetes. Hispanic/Latina women have more cases of diabetes than Hispanic/Latino men.

People with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. Hispanics/Latinos are more likely than whites to have serious health problems caused by diabetes, such as eye disease and kidney disease. Although type 1 diabetes can't be prevented, there are steps you can take to prevent and control type 2 diabetes: