Quiz: Do you understand heart health?
In a new survey conducted by MDVIP/Ipsos, most Americans don’t know the facts, or their own risk for heart disease.
A staggering 62 percent failed the “Heart Attack IQ Quiz,” proving a concerning lack of knowledge about heart disease, the risk factors and prevention.
“Can you imagine if four jumbo jets crash everyday for a year and killed everyone on board, somebody would do something about that, right?” Dr. Andrea Klemes, Chief Medical Officer for MDVIP, told ABC-7. “That’s how many people die of heart disease and over 80-percent of those deaths are preventable.”
Experts say primary care physicians play an important role in heart disease prevention by providing education, screening and guidance to patients. Yet, only 42 percent of Americans have actually discussed their heart health with their doctors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said heart disease doesn’t just happen to older adults, but to young adults more often.
“I think everybody needs to be proactive, starting early with good diet and exercise habits, but children can even get heart disease,” Dr. Klemes said. For those wondering when to start getting checked out, she recommended to start between age 20 to 30. “It depends on your family history. If people all are having heart attacks in their forties or fifties in your family, you probably need to know your levels much earlier.”
According to the survey, 75 percent of Americans are not aware that most heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels.
To test your knowledge, take the quiz here.
