Video: World Heart Day: Heart Attack, Brain Attack, Leg Attack

Today is World Heart Day, and cardiovascular disease remains the world's leading cause of death, killing about 20 million people each year. Most people only think about heart attacks, but the same arterial disease can also affect the brain and the legs.

When an artery to the heart blocks, we call it a heart attack. When an artery to the brain blocks, we call it a stroke, or a brain attack. And when the arteries to the leg become severely blocked, patients can develop a leg attack, or chronic limb-threatening ischaemia. That can mean foot pain at rest, ulcers that don't heal, black toes, infection and, in severe cases, a real risk of amputation.

The risk factors are often the same: smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease, obesity, inactivity and poor diet. Smoking and diabetes are especially destructive for leg arteries, while high blood pressure is a major driver of stroke risk. So on World Heart Day, do not just think about the heart. Think about the whole arterial circulation: the heart, brain, aorta, kidneys, legs and feet. And if you have leg pain when walking, rest pain in your foot, or a wound that is not healing, get your circulation assessed early.