Last week, I spoke about Heart (Cardiovascular) Disease and I asked 5 questions to see how much you know about this leading cause of death [1]. Here are the answers:
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1) Heart Disease (HD) is a general name for many diseases and conditions – Fact.
Heart Disease (HD) or Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the name give to a number of heart-related conditions including Coronary Heart Disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, heart attack and stroke. [2]
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2) A heart attack and a stroke are the same thing – Myth.
Although both conditions may involve blood vessel blockages, they are different. A heart attack occurs when blood flow is reduced or blocked in the heart’s blood vessels, but a stroke occurs when the brain’s blood vessels are blocked or bursts. [3] [4]
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3) Only the elderly develop Heart Disease – Myth.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, about 1 in 20 adults aged 20 and older have Coronary Heart Disease, the most common type of heart disease [5]. Anyone at any age can develop a heart disease, but the chance of developing one increases with age.
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4) Your diet affects your heart (cardiovasular) health – Fact.
Eating heart-healthy foods which include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans can lower your risk of developing Heart Disease. [6]
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5) There is a link between oral health and heart health – Fact.
Your oral health does affect your heart health. Gum Disease and Peridontitis increase your risk of developing Heart Disease [7] [8]. Poor dental hygiene and the presence of dental inflammation introduce bacteria in the blood stream that travel and affect the heart. It is therefore very important to be proactive about your oral health.
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How did you do? Were you surprised with your score? Don’ worry, if you did not do well, you can learn more about Heart Disease by going to the American Heart Association, the NHLB institute and Medline Plus.
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References
1. Ahmad FB, Anderson RN. The Leading Causes of Death in the US for 2020. JAMA. 2021;325(18):1829–1830. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.5469
2. American Heart Association. What is Cardiovascular Disease? https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease
3. American Heart Association. What is a Heart Attack? https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/about-heart-attacks.
4. American Stroke Association. About Stroke. https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke.
5. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Coronary Heart Disease. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease.
6. Harvard Health Online. (2023, November 9). Heart-Healthy Foods: What to Eat and What to Avoid. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/heart-healthy-foods-what-to-eat-and-what-to-avoid
7. Hopkins S, Gajagowni S, Qadeer Y, Wang Z, Virani S, Meurman J, Krittanawong C. (2024). Oral Health and Cardiovascular Disease.The American Journal of Medicine. 2024; 137(4):304-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.11.022.
8. American Heart Association. Oral Health. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/oral-health