6 Common Misconceptions Around Heart Health You Shouldn’t Believe

It is important to be aware of your heart’s condition and not develop a false sense of security about it. Based on assumptions and hearsay you may neglect your deteriorating heart health. Hence the need arises to separate fact from fiction and clear all misconceptions about your heart’s health.

• If it’s in your family you will get it – Common knowledge is that genetics plays a role in the development of coronary artery disease, however, the truth lies in the fact that heart diseases develop to the point of body impairment only due to harmful living conditions and manners. Poor diet, smoking, and little to no physical activity lead to all major diseases. The rising of bad cholesterol and other harmful sterols in your blood also helps in the development of diabetes & then heart diseases. Hence, even if you are genetically impaired you need to maintain your body’s health to keep your heart healthy.
• Fats are bad for your heart – Not all types of fats are bad for the body especially the case for the ones synthesized in animals and plants naturally. Artificially made trans-fat found in all major oils in the market, baked, processed goods and in soft drinks increase your bad form of cholesterol leading to heart diseases.
• Two to three hours of strenuous exercise will keep your heart healthy – To make sure your heart is healthy you will need to keep in mind that exercise should be done in moderation and continuity throughout the week. It is also necessary to adopt an active mentality where you let go of as much convenience as you can.
• Women do not get heart problems compared to men – Through studies and observation, the trend that younger men have more heart attacks is correct, however it should not lead one to believe that younger women do not get heart problems. Especially for women the heart attack chances drastically rise after menopause. Hence it is important for women to annually get their heart condition checked and keep their hearts healthy.
• Diabetes medication stops heart diseases – While with the help of this medication blood sugar levels may lower, the chances of heart diseases still happen to persist. Large blood vessels that become inflamed and affected, raise the risk of stroke & heart attack. The vessels are less impacted by sugar levels in the blood and more by high blood pressure & cholesterol.
• Blood pressure rises with age hence it is okay – With age, the blood vessels harden & become less elastic which leads to increased heart activity and higher blood pressure. This in turn increases fat in these vessels and makes it even more difficult for blood to circulate. This inevitably leads to increased blood pressure and bad heart health. To remedy this, professional help and medications with strict lifestyle changes are required to maintain a healthy heart.

Footnote
Always take care of your heart’s wellbeing and never believe the myths as it will only do harm to your health rather than any good. Make sure to consult a doctor if needed.