edHelper.com
Illnesses

Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular Diseases
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   8.17

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    angiography, angioplasty, artery, atherosclerosis, bypass, cardiovascular, cholesterol, clot, coronary, discomfort, diseased, electrocardiogram, fatty, genetic, hypertension, interruption
     content words:    United States

Print Cardiovascular Diseases
edHelper.com subscriber options:
     Print Cardiovascular Diseases  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)
     Quickly print reading comprehension
     Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Cardiovascular Diseases
     Leave your feedback on Cardiovascular Diseases  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Cardiovascular Diseases
By Jennifer Kenny 		  
1     How old are you? You probably think you are too young to worry about cardiovascular disease. It is true that most individuals who die from cardiovascular disease are over 40. What's important for you to know, though, is that childhood marks the beginning of cardiovascular disease for many people. By taking care of your heart today, you will be doing a great service to your body later on in life.
 
2     Cardiovascular diseases are the diseases that damage the heart and blood vessels. Some common cardiovascular diseases are heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure.
 
3     Some families do have a stronger genetic tendency toward cardiovascular disease than others. However, lifestyle choices can affect everyone - those with a stronger tendency and those without.
 
4     Stephen, for example, has many relatives in his family who have suffered from heart attacks. He has learned some tips for protecting his heart and blood vessels before he has any problem. Stephen's family eats lots of fruits and vegetables as well as lean meats. His parents try to buy foods that are low in cholesterol. They also don't add extra salt to their food. Everyone in Stephen's family watches their weight. They exercise and they don't smoke. Their doctor checks their blood pressure and cholesterol. Stephen's family also uses stress management techniques to reduce the risk of stress to their hearts. These tips are good ideas for all people. How many of them do you and your family follow?

Paragraphs 5 to 11:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Copyright © 2008 edHelper