1) The risk factors for
heart disease that you can do something about are: high blood
pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and
physical inactivity. Answer
2) A stroke is often the
first symptom of high blood pressure, and a heart attack is
often the first symptom of high blood cholesterol. Answer
3) A blood pressure greater than or equal
to 140/90 mm Hg is generally considered to be high. Answer
4) High blood pressure affects the same
number of blacks as it does whites. Answer
5) The best ways to treat and control high
blood pressure are to control your weight, exercise, eat less
salt (sodium), restrict your intake of alcohol, and take your
high blood pressure medicine, if prescribed by your doctor. Answer
6) A blood cholesterol of 240 mg/dl is
desirable for adults. Answer
7) The most effective dietary way to lower
the level of your blood cholesterol is to eat foods low in
cholesterol. Answer
8) Lowering blood cholesterol levels can
help people who have already had a heart attack. Answer
9) Only children from families at high
risk of heart disease need to have their blood cholesterol
levels checked. Answer
10) Smoking is a major risk factor for four
of the five leading causes of death including heart attack,
stroke, cancer, and lung diseases such as emphysema and
bronchitis. Answer
11) If you have had a heart attack,
quitting smoking can help reduce your chances of having a
second attack. Answer
12) Someone who has smoked for 30 to 40
years probably will not be able to quit smoking. Answer
13) The best way to lose weight is to
increase physical activity and eat fewer calories. Answer
14) Heart disease is the leading killer of
men and women in the United States. Answer
True/False
Answers
1)
TRUE High blood pressure,
smoking, and high blood cholesterol are the three most
important risk factors for heart disease. On the average,
each one doubles your chance of developing heart disease. So,
a person who has all three of the risk factors is 8 times
more likely to developheart disease than someone who has
none. Obesity increases the likelihood of developing high
blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, which increase
your risk of heart disease. Physical inactivity increases
your risk for heart attack. Regular exercise and good
nutrition are essential to reducing high blood pressure, high
blood cholesterol, and overweight. People who exercise are
also more likely to cut down or stop smoking.
2)
TRUE A person with high
blood pressure or high blood cholesterol may feel fine and
look great; there are often no signs that anything is wrong
until a stroke or heart attack occurs. To find out if you
have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol, you
should be tested by a doctor, nurse, or other health
professional.
3)
TRUE A blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or
greater is generally classified as high blood pressure.
However, blood pressures that fall below 140/90 mm Hg can
sometimes be a problem. If the diastolic pressure, the second
or lower number, is between 85-89, a person is at an
increased risk for heart disease or stroke and should have
his/her blood pressure checked at least once a year by a
health professional. The higher your blood pressure, the
greater your risk of developing heart disease or stroke.
Controlling high blood pressure reduces your risk.
4)
FALSE High blood pressure is more common in
blacks than whites. It affects 29 out of every 100 black
adults compared to 26 out of every 100 white adults. Also,
with aging, high blood pressure is generally more severe
among blacks then among whites, and therefore causes more
strokes, heart disease, and kidney failure.
5)
TRUE Recent studies show that lifestyle
changes can help keep blood pressure levels normal even into
advanced age and are important in treating and preventing
high blood pressure. Limit high-salt foods which include many
snack foods, such as potato chips, salted pretzels, and
salted crackers; processed foods, such as canned soups; and
condiments, such as ketchup and soy sauce. Also, it is
extremely important to take blood pressure medication, if
prescribed by your doctor, to make sure your blood pressure
stays under control.
6)
FALSE A total blood cholesterol of under 200
mg/dL is desirable and usually puts you at a lower risk for
heart disease. A blood cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL or
above is high and increases your risk of heart disease. If
your cholesterol level is high, your doctor will want to
check your levels of LDL-cholesterol ("bad"
cholesterol) and HDL- cholesterol ("good"
cholesterol. A HIGH level of LDL-cholesterol increases your
risk for heart disease, as does a LOW level of
HDL-cholesterol. A cholesterol level of 200-239 mg/dL is
considered borderline-high and usually increases your risk
for heart disease. If your cholesterol is borderline-high,
you should speak to your doctor to see if additional
cholesterol tests are needed. All adults 20 years of age or
older should have their blood cholesterol level checked at
least once every 5 years.
7)
FALSE Reducing the amount of cholesterol in
your diet is important; however, eating foods low in
saturated fat is the most effective dietary way to lower
blood cholesterol levels, along with eating less total fat
and cholesterol. Choose low-saturated fat foods, such as
grains, fruits, and vegetables; low-fat or skim milk and milk
products; lean cuts of meat; fish; and chicken. Trim fat from
meat before cooking; bake or broil meat rather than fry; use
less fat and oil; and take the skin off chicken and turkey.
Reducing overweight will also help lower your level of LDL-
cholesterol as well as increase your level of HDL-
cholesterol.
8)
TRUE People who have had one heart attack
are at much higher risk for a second attack. Reducing blood
cholesterol levels can greatly slow down (and, in some
people, even reverse) the buildup of cholesterol and fat in
the walls of the arteries and significantly reduce the
chances of a second heart attack.
9)TRUE Children from
"high risk" families, in which a parent has high
blood cholesterol (240 mg/dL or above) or in which a parent
or grandparent has had heart disease at an early age (at 55
years of age or younger), should have their cholesterol
levels tested. If a child from such a family has a
cholesterol level that is high, it should be lowered under
medical supervision, primarily with diet, to reduce the risk
of developing heart disease as an adult. For most children,
who are not from high-risk families, the best way to reduce
the risk of adult heart disease is to follow a low-saturated
fat, low cholesterol eating pattern. All children over the
age of 2 years and all adults should adopt a heart-healthy
eating pattern as a principal way of reducing coronary heart
disease.
10)
TRUE Heavy smokers are 2 to 4 times more
likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers, and the heart
attack death rate among all smokers is 70 percent greater
than that of nonsmokers. Older male smokers are also nearly
twice as likely to die from stroke than older men who do not
smoke, and these odds are nearly as high for older female
smokers. Further, the risk of dying from lung cancer is 22
times higher for male smokers than male nonsmokers and 12
times higher for female smokers than female nonsmokers.
Finally, 80 percent of all deaths from emphysema and
bronchitis are directly due to smoking.
11)
TRUE One year after quitting, ex-smokers cut
their extra risk for heart attack by about half or more, and
eventually the risk will return to normal in healthy
ex-smokers. Even if you have already had a heart attack, you
can reduce your chances of a second attack if you quit
smoking. Ex-smokers can also reduce their risk of smoke and
cancer, improve blood flow and lung function, and help stop
diseases like emphysema and bronchitis from getting worse.
12)
FALSE Older smokers are more likely to
succeed at quitting smoking than younger smokers. Quitting
helps relieve smoking-related symptoms like shortness of
breath, coughing, and chest pain. Many quit to avoid further
health problems and take control of their lives.
13)
TRUE Weight control is a question of
balance. You get calories from the foods you eat. You burn
off calories by exercising. Cutting down on calories,
especially calories from fat, is key to losing weight.
Combining this with a regular physical activity, like
walking, cycling, jogging, or swimming, not only can help in
losing weight but also in maintaining weight loss. A steady
weight loss of 1/2 to 1 pounds a week is safe for most
adults, and the weight is more likely to stay off over the
long run. Losing weight, if you are overweight, may also
reduce your blood pressure, lower your LDL-cholesterol, and
raise your HDL- cholesterol. Being physically active and
eating fewer calories will also help you control your weight
if you quit smoking.
14)
TRUE Coronary heart disease
is the #1 killer in the United States. Approximately 489,000
Americans died of coronary heart disease in 1990, and
approximately half of the deaths were women.
Source:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health
Service
NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NIH Publication
No. 93-2724
For more info go to the US Government Health Finder Website:
http://www.healthfinder.gov
