Heart Disease and You

Heart disease, along with high blood pressure, diabetes, and stoke, can increase your risk of dementia. The disease is rooted in damaged blood vessels. It is therefore not surprising that what affects the heart, may also affect the brain.

This coronary disease is a global epidemic. In the United States, this disease strikes one out of three women and one out of two men by the age of 40.

Being knowledgeable about cardiovascular disease, and the implementation of that knowledge, could go a long ways towards prevention. It is with that in mind that I put forth this quiz. How much do you know about this dreaded disease?

This quiz is composed of a mixture of multiple choice and true or false. Correct answers follows each question/statement.

(1) If you are under age 65, your risk of a heart attack is low (True or False)

False. Forty-five percent of heart attacks happen to people under 65. Five percent happen to people under 40.

(2) All of the following symptoms could be a sign of a heart attack EXCEPT:

a. chest pain
b. nausea
c. neck pain
d. double vision
e. shortness of breath

D. Double vision can be a sign of a stroke. Chest pain and shortness of breath are the usual indications of a heart attack.

(3) Some signs of a heart attack are more common in women than in men? (True or False?)

True. Women are likelier to experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain than men. Both, however, are likely to feel chest pain or discomfort.

(4) If you have symptoms of a heart attack, but they are not severe, what should you do?

a. call 911 right away
b. have someone drive you to the hospital immediately
c. call 911 if the symptoms don;t go away in 10 minutes
d. take an aspirin and wait 10 minutes to see if the symptoms go away
e. try to reach your doctor

A. Even when some symptoms go away, it is possible that they may return. When 911 is called, the responding emergency medical technicians (EMTs) can begin treatment upon arrival. They are trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.

(5) Women are more likely to survive a heart attack than men? (True or False)

False.

(6) All of the following are major risk factors for heart disease EXCEPT:

a. high LDL (bad cholesterol)
b. high blood pressure
c. HDL (good) cholesterol under 40
d. moderate alcohol consumption
e. cigarette smoking

D. Other major risk factors include diabetes and age (over 45 for men; over 55 for women). Another risk factor is if heart disease was diagnosed in your brother or father before age 55 or your sister or mother before age 65.

(7) You need a fasting blood test to find out if your LDL cholesterol is high? (True or False)

True.

(8) Roughly what percent of women over age 75 have high blood pressure?

a. 25
b. 45
c. 55
d. 75
e. 85

E (85%). Hypertension (high blood pressure) raises the risk of heart attack.

(9) What percent of people over age 60 with high blood pressure get their pressure under control?

a. 95
b. 75
c. 55
d. 35
e. 15

D (35%)

(10) All of the following can lower blood pressure EXCEPT:

a. eating a low-salt diet
b. losing excess weight
c. taking a multivitamin
d. limiting alcohol to one drink per day (women) or two drinks [per day (men)e. exercise

C.

(11) High blood sugar can raise your risk of heart disease? (True or False)

True. If you have diabetes (a fasting blood sugar over 125), you are two to four times more likely to have a heart attack than someone without diabetes. People with diabetes are are also more likely to die after a heart attack.

(12) All of the following can lower your blood sugar EXCEPT:

a. losing excess weight
b. exercise
c. taking a chromium supplement
d. eating fewer refined carbs
e. eating more beans

C. Although chromium is widely advertised as being able to lower blood sugar, well-designed studies find that it has no effect in non-diabetics. (The results in people with diabetes are inconclusive.)

(13) All of the following can raise HDL (good) cholesterol EXCEPT:

a. exercise
b. consuming alcohol in moderation
c. cutting saturated fat
d. losing excess weight
e. giving up cigarettes

C. To the contrary, eating more saturated fat will raise your HDL cholesterol along with LDL (bad) cholesterol.

(14) The Metabolic Syndrome raises the risk of heart disease (and diabetes). Each of the following is part of the syndrome EXCEPT:

a. a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight categoryb. blood triglycerides of 150 or higherc. HDL (good) cholesterol less than 40 in men and less than 50 in womend. blood pressure of 130/85 or highere. fasting blood sugar of 110 or higher

A. Extra pounds are part of the Metabolic Syndrome only if they are located around your waist. A waist larger than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women constitutes a part of this syndrome. If you have three of the five indications, you have it.

(15) Roughly one out of four Americans has the Metabolic Syndrome? (True or False)

True.

(16) All of the following can lower triglycerides EXCEPT:

a. eating more fiber
b. eating less fat
c. losing excess weight
d. increasing exercise
e. taking fish oil pills

B. A diet that's low in all types of fat can boost triglycerides in some people because it will also be high in carbohydrates.

(17) What's the most crucial feature of a diet that lowers your LDL (bad) cholesterol?

a. low in fat
b. high in protein
c. low in carbohydrate
d. high in fiber
e. low in saturated and trans fat

E.

(18) Replacing carbs with protein or unsaturated fat may protect your heart? (True or False)

True.

(19) Eating all of the following can help lower your blood pressure EXCEPT:

a. more vegetables
b. more fruit
c. less fatty meat
d. more low-fat dairy foods
e. more fat-free sweets

E.

(20) Which cereal is most likely to lower your risk of heart disease?

a. Cheerios
b. All-Bran
c. Total
d. Grape-Nuts Flakes
e. Kellogg's Smart Start Antioxidants

B. Look for any whole-grain cereal that has 5 grams of fiber per serving or more. All-Bran meets that criteria.

(21) A 6 oz. serving of which food has the least saturated fat?

a. skinless chicken breast
b. trimmed pork chop
c. trimmed filet mignon
d. skinless chicken thigh
e. trimmed sirloin steak

A. A 6 oz. serving of roasted, skinless chicken breast contains less than 2 grams of saturated fat.

(22) A 3 oz. serving of which food has the least saturated fat?

a. 90% lean ground beef
b. ground round
c. ground sirloin
d. ground turkey
e. ground turkey breast

E.

(23) Which of these foods is least likely to have trans fat?

a. cookies
b. potato chips
c. pie crust
d. French fries
e. microwave popcorn

B.

(24) A serving of which of these foods tends to be lowest in sodium (salt)?

a. frozen entrees
b. lunch meats
c. canned soups
d. salted nuts
e. pasta sauce

D. Your taste buds can't judge the amount of salt in foods. Salted nuts, like potato chips, taste salty because their salt is on the surface. A 1/4-cup serving of salted, dry-roasted peanuts has only about 200 mg of sodium. Soups and frozen entrees can anywhere from 500 to 1,000 mg.

(25) Which of these spreads should lower your cholesterol the most?

a. butter
b. light butter
c. stick margarine
d. tub margarine
e. fat-free margarine

D.

(26) Which of these nutrients is most likely to lower your risk of a heart attack?

a. potassium
b. vitamin C
c. folic acid
d. vitamin E
e. calcium

A.

(27) Which of these foods is most likely to protect your heart?

a. green tea
b. nuts
c. chocolate
d. coffee
e. soy milk

B.

(28) Which sanwich typically has the most saturated fat?

a. egg salad
b. roast beef
c. grilled cheese
d. tuna salad
e. turkey

C.

(29) Which of the following is the best source of omega-3 fats?

a. tuna
b. salmon
c. flaxseed oil
d. soybean oil
e. soy milk with added omega-3s

B.

(30) All of the following should help lower your cholesterol EXCEPT:

a. oatmeal
b. beans
c. orange juice with plant sterols
d. eggs with omega-3s
e. broccoli

D.

How did You Do?

22 - 30 Fantastic!

15 - 21 Good Job!

8 - 14 E-h-h-h-h.

0 - 7 Uh-Oh!!!

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