A new study reports that 99 percent of individuals who suffer heart attacks and strokes share key risk factors. A leading cardiologist notes that as many as 80 percent of these cases can be headed off with the right preventive measures.

A 50-something patient arrived at Oneida Health’s emergency department with chest pain, only to learn she was having her first heart attack. Though sudden on the surface, her condition was tied to long-term risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.