Myth: My blood pressure is fine; I haven’t had it checked, but I don’t feel like it’s high.

Fact: High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of stroke and heart attack, but it is also one of the more “silent” manifestations of cardiovascular disease because the patient usually does not realize she has it until she has her blood pressure checked. To be sure that your blood pressure is in the right range, ask your doctor what your numbers are and if they are where they should be.