Heart disease Myths and facts

Belief: Young people, thin people, and those with normal cholesterol levels have no chance of heart disease.
Truth: Young people and those with normal cholesterol levels have less chance of developing the disease, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Heart disease can be caused by various factors, including genetic causes. Acute heart failure is also found in young people or athletes due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
 
Belief: People with heart disease should not exercise.
Truth: Exercise helps strengthen the heart muscle, increases blood flow to the brain and internal organs, and improves overall health. However, individual advice from the attending physician is recommended.
 
Belief: Taking cholesterol-lowering medication allows you to eat whatever you want.
Truth: Blood cholesterol is produced by the liver and obtained from food sources. Cholesterol-lowering medications help reduce cholesterol produced by the liver but do not help reduce cholesterol from food. Eating high-fat foods will increase blood cholesterol levels.
 
Belief: Having diabetes and taking diabetes medication eliminates the risk of heart and vascular diseases.
Truth: Controlling blood sugar levels helps reduce or slow the development of heart disease. However, the risk of heart disease and stroke remains because high blood sugar can cause abnormal cell function and damage blood vessel walls, leading to inflammation and making the vessels more fragile.
 
Belief: There is no need to check blood lipids until middle age.
Truth: Checking blood lipids from a young age can help prevent the risk of heart disease, especially if there is a family history of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends checking cholesterol levels every 5 years for individuals aged 20 and above.
 
Belief: High blood pressure is a normal part of aging.
Truth: Although blood pressure tends to be higher in the elderly due to stiffening of blood vessel walls, high blood pressure causes the heart to work harder to pump blood, increasing the risk of heart failure and stroke. Blood pressure should be controlled to not exceed 140/90 mmHg.
 
Belief: Women will not develop heart disease because female hormones prevent it.
Truth: Heart disease can occur in both men and women. It is becoming more common in women over the age of 65.
 
Belief: If there is a history of heart disease in the family, it is inevitable and cannot be prevented.
Truth: While individuals with a family history of heart disease have a higher risk, the risk can be reduced by controlling factors such as regular exercise, managing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding smoking.
 
Belief: Heart disease requires cutting out all fats from the diet.
Truth: The fats to avoid are saturated fats, hydrogenated fats, and trans fats, which can be found in snacks, baked goods, cookies, and animal fats. Beneficial fats can still be consumed, such as unsaturated fats from plant sources, fatty fish like salmon, various nuts, and olive oil, which contain omega-3s beneficial for the body.
 
Belief: Myocardial ischemia (heart attack) always starts with chest pain.
Truth: While most people experience chest pain initially, myocardial ischemia can also present with other symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, headache, or discomfort in the arms, jaw, neck, and back. Individuals with heart disease should seek medical attention or call an ambulance immediately if suspicious symptoms occur.