12 medical conditions that can kill you in 24 hours or less

While heart attacks and strokes can, of course, lead to sudden death, when it comes to infectious diseases, many factors come into play that will determine if you get sick – and how sick you get. The good news? Infections that kill quickly are rare.

One of the world's biggest killers, stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer, according to the Stroke Foundation. A stroke happens when a clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain (or the blood vessel ruptures), which cuts off oxygen to the brain. In the case of an ischemic stroke, clot-busting medications can be given to save your life – but typically within three hours. Find out the 6 signs of a stroke you might be ignoring.