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10 false 'perceptions' about heart disease

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The Jakarta Post
Mon, April 7, 2014

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10 false 'perceptions' about heart disease

1. Heart disease is a man'€™s disease.

In women aged above 40, heart attacks kill more people than all female cancers combined. Women who are still having menstrual cycles are protected by their female hormones, hence, they tend to develop heart disease after the menopause and rapidly catch up with men. Nevertheless, younger women with risk factors, especially diabetes, tend to have similarly increased risk as with male subjects.

2. Heart disease only affects older people.

The build-up of cholesterol deposits (atheromatous plaque) in the arteries starts as early as the late teens to early twenties. This process (medically termed atherosclerosis) is progressive over the years and is accelerated by various factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Unfortunately, the progressive narrowing of the arteries tends to be a silent process until significant blockage (above 70 percent) occurs.

3. You can'€™t have heart disease if you have no risk factors.

Most people would be aware of diabetes, hypertension and smoking as risk factors and, yes, these are major factors. However, consider the following as also significant risk factors: having a '€œpot belly'€, sedentary lifestyle, high consumption of meats, sugar, fried foods.

4. My parents lived into their 80'€™s and did not have any heart disease.

A positive family history (i.e. an immediate family member having heart disease, especially at an early age) increases one'€™s chances of developing heart disease.

However, a negative history does not necessarily mean that you won'€™t get it. During our parent'€™s era, people generally had more physical exertion, enjoyed a less refined and healthier diet, thus, were usually less overweight.

5. High cholesterol is bad, low cholesterol good

The whole number means little. It is the profile that matters. We should look at the different components of cholesterol: high LDL ('€œbad'€) cholesterol is bad, whereas the higher your HDL ('€œgood'€) cholesterol, the less likely you will develop heart disease. In addition, if the triglyceride (blood fat) level is markedly increased, your heart disease risk also increases.

6. I read all the food labels and only consume those that are cholesterol-free, I should be okay?

Only foods from animal origin contain cholesterol. Hence, nuts, coconut oil, peanut butter are all cholesterol free, but that doesn'€™t mean they are healthy. That'€™s because they contain high amounts of saturated fats and our liver uses these fats to make cholesterol in our body. Recently, there has been increasing evidence that trans fats (fats that have been solidified by adding hydrogen) are even more harmful. Trans fats can be found in margarine, baked products, fried potato chips, etc.

7. Heart attacks are painful.

About a quarter of heart attacks produce no symptoms. At other times, a heart attack may mimic other conditions, such as gastritis, dizziness or backache. The discomfort may even go away after a few hours, but that doesn'€™t mean the heart is not damaged. Whichever way a heart attack presents, the same level of danger is present.

The message is: When in doubt, err on the side of safety. It is better to be safe than sorry.

8. I'€™ve already had a bypass operation/stent insertion performed. I'€™m cured!

Just because your dentist pulls out one rotten tooth doesn'€™t mean you don'€™t have to brush/floss regularly: Your other teeth will rapidly go bad. This is the same for your heart. The main factors why you developed heart disease in the first place are still there (hypertension, high cholesterol). You have to diligently take your medication, watch your diet and exercise! Remember, you'€™ve been given a second chance, make the most of it.

9. My friends say that I can'€™t quit smoking all at once, I will die!

Rubbish! Smoking doesn'€™t cause a real physical addiction, unlike, say heroin. It is more like you'€™re so used to it like brushing your teeth. Smoking is one of the main reasons heart attacks develop. The good news is that once you stop, your increased risk rapidly decreases that by one year it becomes the same as someone who never smokes. There'€™s no such thing as one cigarette won'€™t hurt: it has to be a complete: No!

10. The area where I live has the best hospitals, doctors and equipment; I should survive a heart attack.

Approximately 40 percent of heart attack victims don'€™t to hospital, so that leaves only the survivors to benefit from advanced medical care. How do you know you won'€™t be in the first 40 percent?

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The article is prepared by Island Hospital

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