Heart disease is the #1 killer in America. Yet even with those stats a new survey released by the Cleveland Clinic said that 75% of people in America do not worry about heart disease killing them. Over 25% of Americans that have a history of disease in their family do nothing to take preventative steps, even though they are at a higher risk of developing heart disease. Worse, there are tons of heart disease myths that could kill you. Are you aware of these myths? Let’s look at five of these myths.
Cardio Vascular System
Myth #1 Chest Pain is the Main Symptom of a Heart Attack
Truth – You can have a heart attack that ranges in severity and type. The heart will often send pain to other parts of the body because it does not have any of its own pain receptors. A heart attack can show as an ache in your arm or jaw that gets worse with exertion and relieves itself with rest. This type of pain is some of the biggest warnings but 70% of Americans are not aware of the smaller symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, or trouble sleeping, which can indicate abnormal blood flow to the heart.
Myth #2 Heart Health Begins With a Low Fat Diet that Eliminates Cheese and Red Meat
Truth – Approaching eating with a whole diet is best. This should focus on eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, and nuts. Processed cheeses and red meat are okay in moderation. Red meat should be lean cuts.
Myth #3 Heart Disease Can be Prevented with Fish Oil and Multi Vitamins
Truth – While fish oil and multi vitamins have many benefits, they do not actually prevent heart disease. In addition, some vitamins can interact with certain medications and can actually cause heart failure or damage to the liver. You should always consult with your doctor before you start taking any supplements.
Myth #4 Your Salt Intake Does not Affect Your Heart
Truth – Most Americans get 4 to 5 times more salt than they need. While many focus on the salt they add to their food the truth is most salt is hidden in canned foods, condiments, restaurant foods and deli meats, which cause your blood pressure to rise. According to Harvard Medical School a study done in 2013 showed that even a gradual reduction in salt of just 4% over a decade could save a half million lives.
Myth #5 Heart Disease is the Result of a Gene
Truth – 60% of the population believe that a gene causes heart disease. There are certainly genetic factors that can increase your risk, but there is no one gene that causes heart disease. Different genes determine how your body handles cholesterol or your blood vessel health. You can do a pretty good job of determining what your risk of heart disease is by looking at your relatives. If you have a first level relative that has heart disease this is a red flag. However, if the person smokes or has a poor lifestyle, then it may not be genetics.
Heart disease is a very real concern in our western society. There are things you can do to improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease even when genetics plays a role. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and even taking an HGH supplement can all benefit your overall health and therefore you reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
- Healthy Diet – A healthy diet means low fat, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and healthy oils. It means avoiding processed foods, junk foods and processed foods, and it means controlling your portion size.
- Exercise – Stretching, aerobic and strengthening exercises are all good. Just a 30 minute walk daily can make a huge difference in your heart health.
- Sleep – To keep your heart healthy you need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. A study on the quality of sleep showed that those who didn’t get at least 7 hours of sleep a night and who felt unrested in the morning had a 63% higher risk of having a heart attack.
- HGH Supplement – Known as the ‘aging elixir’ has many benefits and one of those is reversing the signs of aging, including the age of organs, which is why an HGH supplement could be helpful in your heart health. More on HGH supplements can be found at this link!
- A Healthy Lifestyle – In addition to what’s been mentioned avoid smoking, drinking, stressful situations and leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Wow! This is a very informative post! I didn’t know that fish oils didn’t do what they claimed to and that an hgh supplement could help me out so much!
Doesn’t the excess salt in our diet get removed when the body flushes out waste? I wonder how long it needs to be in the bloodstream before it elevates blood pressure to a point of danger.
Every time I am at my doctor’s office, I will ask about my heart health. It’s better to keep tabs on it than to learn later on in life that you have a problem because of what you ate or how you lived your life.