Dr Swapan Kumar Saha warns us not to get tricked by cardiac related myths

Getting tricked by myths about heart disease

Heart disease can affect people of any age. Tackling misinformation about heart health is very important. Here are the 10 myths about heart health

• I am skinny, so I don’t need to exercise: Thin people are not immune from developing serious heart problems. Even though obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, people with optimal weight can still suffer from a heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
• My children are overweight, but they are young, so we don’t have to worry about heart disease risks yet: Healthy habits such as a heart-healthy diet and staying active are cultivated in the family starting at a young age. Newer evidence shows that almost half of people who are obese in childhood grow up to suffer from obesity as adults. Obesity in adulthood is clearly linked to an increased risk for heart disease.
• Women are protected from heart attacks and thus can pay less attention to prevention: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. It is a common misconception that only men are affected by heart disease. However, it is true that men tend to develop cardiovascular disease at an earlier age than women.
• There is no way to prevent heart problems if you have a family history: It’s easy to feel discouraged with a family history of heart disease and believe there’s no way to prevent heart disease. However, it’s important to know it isn’t true. Preventative action could be lifesaving, especially for people with a family history of heart disease.
• Irregular heartbeats are harmless: Irregular heartbeat is also known as arrhythmia. In other words, the heart beating too slow, too fast, or with an unusual pattern. Arrhythmias may be life-threatening, and potentially fatal, so it’s important that all heart rhythms are properly evaluated.
• People should avoid exercise if they have heart disease: The chance of exercise triggering a cardiac arrest or heart attack is extremely low. Exercise helps strengthen the heart muscle and improve blood flow around the body.
• Younger people do not need to worry about heart disease: It is true that heart disease is more likely to affect people after a certain age. But heart attacks occur in younger people as well.
• People taking cholesterol-lowering drugs can eat whatever they like: Some drugs, such as statins, reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. However, this does not mean that a person who is taking statins can consume foods containing saturated fats with abandon.
• After smoking for years, there is no point stopping now: Smoking tobacco is a major cause of heart disease. As soon as a person stops smoking, the health benefits begin
• Heavy drinking mainly affects the liver, not the heart: The impact of heavy drinking on the liver is no secret, but it may also cause significant heart damage.

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