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Heart valve disease is a lifelong condition. See your doctor regularly for ongoing care and to determine how this condition may affect pregnancy.

Your doctor will diagnose metabolic syndrome based on the results of a physical exam and blood tests. You must have at least three of the five metabolic risk factors—a large waistline, a high triglyceride level, a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugar—to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

Making heart-healthy lifestyle choices is the best way to prevent metabolic syndrome by being physically active, following a heart-healthy eating plan, knowing your weight, waist measurement, and BMI, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Mitral valve prolapse can occur in anyone. However, aging and certain diseases—such as rheumatic fever, connective tissue disorders, Graves’ disease, scoliosis, and some types of muscular dystrophy—can increase the risk of developing the condition.

Most people who have mitral valve prolapse don’t have any symptoms of the condition. When mitral valve prolapse does cause signs and symptoms, they can include: palpitations, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, migraine headaches, and chest discomfort. Complications of mitral valve prolapse include arrhythmias and infection of the mitral valve.

Physical activity is any body movement that works your muscles, which requires more energy than resting. Examples include walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga, and gardening. Exercise is a type of planned or structured physical activity.

The main types of physical activity are aerobic, muscle-strengthening, bone-strengthening, and stretching. Aerobic activity, which makes your heart beat faster, provides the most benefit for your heart and lungs. Depending on your fitness level, aerobic activity can be light, moderate, or vigorous.

The chemicals in tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke and smoke from pipes or cigars, can cause changes in the body. Body changes can include inflammation, damage to blood vessel walls, changes to heart rhythm, an increase in blood pressure, changes in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and thickened blood. Smoking can increase your risk for heart disease and peripheral artery disease.

Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke benefits your heart and blood vessels. Studies show that quitting smoking lowers the risk for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and complications such as heart attack or death.

A stroke occurs when the flow of oxygen rich blood to a portion of the brain is interrupted, which can cause brain cells to die.