<\/figure>\n2. If I had high blood pressure I would have obvious symptoms: \nFALSE<\/strong><\/p>\nThe majority of people with hypertension do not show any symptoms. Occasionally, hypertension causes symptoms such as headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, heart palpitations and nosebleeds, but not always3<\/sup>. If left unchecked, hypertension can cause a myocardial infarction, a widening of the heart, stroke and, in the long run, heart failure.<\/p>\n3. Heart disease runs in my family, so there\u2019s nothing I can do about it: FALSE<\/strong><\/p>\nGenetic factors do play some role in high blood pressure, heart disease and other related conditions. However, environments and other factors also increase heart disease risk and should be always being addressed.4<\/sup><\/p>\nThe risk of heart disease can increase further when hereditary factors combine with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking and an unhealthy diet.<\/p>\n
4. I\u2019m less likely to develop heart disease if I\u2019m active, eat well and don\u2019t smoke: \nTRUE \u2026 but<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s true that a healthy lifestyle is one of the most effective measures in preventing cardiovascular disease.\u00a0However, we must also bear in mind that there are other, less known cardiovascular risk factors, such as air pollution, that have an impact on an individuals\u2019 likelihood of developing CVD 5. <\/sup><\/p>\n5. Having diabetes doesn\u2019t mean I have a higher chance of developing heart disease: \nFALSE<\/strong><\/p>\nCVD is the primary cause of death of all patients with diabetes.6<\/sup> Diabetes was recognized as a CVD risk factor very early on in the exploration of risk factors in the Framingham Heart Study. In the study diabetes was found to offer a 2-4 fold increased risk of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure,\u00a0peripheral arterial disease,\u00a0stroke,\u00a0and increased mortality.\u00a0Moreover, diabetes was consistently found to be a stronger risk factor for CVD in women than men.<\/p>\nSources: \n1. Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 \n2. AHA \n3. http:\/\/www.who.int\/topics\/hypertension\/en\/ \n4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. \n5. Source: GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990\u20132016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet 390, 1345\u20131422 (2017). \n6. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3033760\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Cardiovascular Disease continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide, so the need for accurate information about cardiovascular disease risk factors remains vital. Here we explore five common myths around CVD … 1. Heart disease\u00a0only affects older people: FALSE 22% of all Disability-Adjusted Life Years (or years of healthy life lost) in people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":8771,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"event":[],"project-campaign":[314],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-8770","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Five CVD myths to be debunked - World Heart Federation<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n\t \n