A new survey reveals more than half of Americans failed a Heart Attack IQ quiz suggesting many of us don’t realize we’re at risk for heart disease – the number one killer of both men and women.
There are many misconceptions about heart disease, but the fact that it’s deadly isn’t one of them.
“Can you imagine if four jumbo jets crashed everyday for a year and killed everyone on board? That’s how many people die of heart disease every year,” explained Dr. Andrea Klemes, Chief Medical Officer at MDVIP.
Over 80% of those deaths are preventable. It’s worth noting even children can have heart disease.
“Start looking at your risk in your twenties and thirties to say ‘What is my family history? Do I have the heart attack gene? Do I have chronic inflammation?’” said Klemes.
While heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, the survey reveals people worry more about cancer than they do heart attack.
Often thought of as a man’s disease, women tend to be less proactive about heart disease. Women may also ignore symptoms that are not always stereotypical.
“You hear everywhere about that elephant that sits on your chest. That’s very common in men. But in women they just get nauseated or have jaw pain and so they don’t rush off to the doctor immediately,” added Klemes. She says this may be why women die more often from their first heart attack than men do.
You can test your Heart Attack IQ and assess your risk here . You can also print your results and discuss them with your doctor.
“One of the questions on the quiz is, ‘What’s worse for you? A cup of ice cream, a three ounce filet mignon, a scrambled egg, or a medium french fry?’”
Most people got it wrong picking the french fries. The ice cream is the worst.