Address the risk factors, shore up your defences and strengthen your body with proper diet and exercise.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the term used for heart, stroke and blood vessel diseases.

In the neck, the carotid arteries supply blood to the brain. A blockage of these vessels will lead to cerebro-vascular disease such as strokes and transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs).

In the heart, coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscles. Disease of the coronary arteries called "coronary artery disease" (CAD) leads to narrowing of the artery and thus compromises the supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle cells.

To battle against cardiovascular disease, we need to understand the workings of our adversaries - the contributive risk factors, the process of disease progression - in order to strategize against this killer disease.

In this art of war, we need to address the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, shore up our defenses with proper diet and nutrition, and strengthen the body with exercise.