Do you believe in the top ten rumors about heart disease?

Every year, people who suffer from heart disease have more lives than all cancers. But many rumors about heart disease are still spreading, and many people take it lightly. Dr. A. Marc Gillinov, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, summed up the top ten rumors about heart disease and uncovered the truth.

Gossip 1: Only people with family inheritance will have heart disease

Truth: Genes play an important role in the development of coronary artery disease, but "90% of heart disease comes from unhealthy lifestyles, including poor diet, minimal exercise and smoking," Dr. Gillinov said.

These unhealthy lifestyles can raise levels of cholesterol and harmful fats, and raise blood pressure to cause metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, all of which increase the risk of heart disease.

Dr. Gillinov particularly emphasized: "If you have a genetics of high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you should pay more attention to a healthy lifestyle and take medication on time to control the risk and avoid or delay the onset of heart disease."

Gossip 2: Good cholesterol can counteract the damage of bad cholesterol

Truth: "We used to think that a lot of good cholesterol can counteract the effects of bad cholesterol, but recent research has found that this is not the case," Dr. Gillinov said.

Therefore, in the blood test results, in addition to pay attention to the level of total cholesterol, but also pay attention to the level of good cholesterol HDL-C and bad cholesterol LDL-C, doctors pay more attention to the level of LDL-C.

â–² yellow is bad cholesterol, blue is good cholesterol

Although high HDL-C levels are a good thing, your body still deposits cholesterol in your blood vessels, which can lead to heart disease, stroke and other problems.

Gossip 3: We can lower the level of LDL-C just by diet

Truth: "If your LDL-C level is high, you need to take statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs. Because your liver makes 75% of your cholesterol, and your diet only accounts for 25%," Dr. Gillinov Explain.

A healthy diet can lower the level of LDL-C, but the role of the drug can not be ignored, especially your high LDL-C level, and a history of coronary artery disease.

Gossip 4: You can feel it when your blood pressure is high

Truth: Do you know that high blood pressure is called a "silent killer"?

Hypertension usually does not use any symptoms until it causes heart disease or stroke. It is generally only possible to know if the blood pressure is too high through a sphygmomanometer.

“If you have a family of hereditary hypertension, it's best to measure your blood pressure before the age of 21,” Dr. Gillinov said. “This can be used as a baseline for your future blood pressure values.”

Gossip 5: Fat is bad for the heart

Truth: There are four kinds of fat in our food, but not all fats are bad.

Artificially produced trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated oils, are the worst, and they increase the level of LDL-C. Trans fats are common in many baked and processed foods.

Saturated fat is second only, it is more common in red meat, animal fats and butter.

“Replacing unhealthy saturated fat with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (more common in vegetable oils and nuts) can lower LDL-C levels,” Dr. Gillinov suggested.

Gossip 6: Some "super foods" can prevent heart disease

The truth: "There is no food to prevent heart disease, but some diets can be," Dr. Gillinov said.

Blueberries, pomegranates, walnuts, and fish that have been labeled as "super food" in these years are indeed good for heart health, but eating these foods alone is not enough to prevent heart disease.

But the Mediterranean diet and the DASH Diet have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, because these diets are not just about the intake of certain foods, but the overall diet choice. For example, emphasis on the intake of whole grains, beans, fish, vegetables, fruits and monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil).

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Gossip 7: Two to three hours of intense exercise every week can guarantee heart health

Truth: To reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and cancer, you need 5-6 moderate to high intensity exercises per week.

“You don’t need to be a sport fighter to gain more by increasing your exercise,” Dr. Gillinov said. “But you have to move. You can benefit from any sport, and the more you do, the more you benefit.”

Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, use the walking instead of the car, go to the store to turn around, do housework and gardening, etc. Try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, you can divide it into three 10 minutes or two 15 minutes, your heart will be grateful to you.

Gossip 8: Heart bypass surgery and cardiac stents can repair coronary artery disease

Truth: When coronary artery disease blocks the artery, the doctor can indeed repair the circulatory system by coronary artery bypass surgery, or use a heart stent to open the blocked blood vessel.

"Bridge surgery and stents can prevent heart attacks, but they can't cure coronary artery disease," Dr. Gillinov said.

The disease itself will continue to cause vascular obstruction.

Gossip nine: stent is safer than bypass surgery

Truth: "There is no doubt that coronary artery bypass surgery is a major surgery, but if surgery is necessary to prevent heart attacks and is done by experienced surgeons, the risk of surgery is small," Dr. Gillinov said.

Cardiac stents are less invasive than bypass surgery and patients can recover faster. Some patients may be more suitable for cardiac stents, while others may be more suitable for bypass surgery. Your cardiologist will explain your situation.

Gossip 10: Women don't have to worry about heart disease

Truth: In fact, more women die of heart disease each year than breast cancer.

Men are more likely to develop coronary artery disease at a younger age, but women will have the same risk of heart attack as men after menopause.

“The good news is that women are more likely to survive a heart attack, thanks to early identification and good heart care,” Dr. Gillinov said.

I hope that these suggestions can help people who are confused and let us know the truth about heart disease.

Reference material

[1] 10 heart disease myths you shouldn't believe