(KXNET) — We often associate hearts with the month of February thanks to Valentine’s Day, however, February is also American Heart Month.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women.

Certain heart diseases can also increase your risk of having a stroke. And strokes come in different types of severity.

The “National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale” measures the severity of strokes, and this scale is something everyone should know about.

“The scale runs from zero for no functioning deficits to 42 for very severe functioning deficits. Keep in mind, the NIH Stroke Scale tool was originally designed by a physician that liked to play golf. So if you find it helpful, a low score is better than a high score,” said Kelly Thompson with the U.S. Department of Health.

Click here to find out more about how to prevent heart disease.