9 Common Heart Disease Myths You Shouldn't Believe | Cardiovascular Disorders and Diseases articles | Body & Health Conditions center

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death all around the world. In the United States alone, heart disease kills more people than all cancers combined. Therefore, it is important for everyone to be aware of the facts surrounding heart disease so they can take steps to prevent it.

The many misconceptions floating around about heart disease make that tough, though. Time for some myth busting!

1. Heart disease is purely genetic

Many people believe that you can only develop heart disease if it runs in your family. However, this is absolutely not true. While genetics do play a role in heart disease, researchers estimate 90 percent of heart disease cases are a result of lifestyle choices, which include:

A poor diet
Smoking
Leading a sedentary lifestyle
Drinking alcohol excessively.

These lifestyle choices lead to increases in cholesterol and fat levels in your blood, causing increased blood pressure and ultimately heart disease. If heart disease does run in your family, you need to be even more diligent about making lifestyle modifications. But, regardless of family history, if you make poor health choices, your risk of developing heart disease is very high.

2. You will feel when you blood pressure is high

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it usually doesn’t produce any symptoms unless you have a heart attack or a stroke. Thus, it’s a good idea to check your blood pressure frequently by using a blood pressure cuff. You should do this even if you are younger, and particularly if high blood pressure runs in your family.

3. Consuming good cholesterol can offset the bad cholesterol

In the past, doctors used to think that consuming more good cholesterol could offset the bad cholesterol. Recent studies have shown that this is not true. Therefore, instead of looking at the “good” cholesterol (known as HDL), doctors now just focus on the “bad” cholesterol (known as LDL). If your LDL is high, you will be need to be given medications such as statins or some sort of other cholesterol-lowering drug. You cannot lower a high LDL through your diet alone, as 75 percent of your cholesterol is made by your body and diet only contributes 25 percent of the cholesterol.

4. You shouldn’t consume fats

Many people believe that consuming fats in general is bad for heart health. However, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, there are many different types of fats that can be found in our food and there are two specific kinds of fats that are the worst – trans fats and saturated fats.

Trans fats (also called partially hydrogenated oils) are normally found in baked goods and processed foods. Trans fats are the worst kinds of fat as they raise LDL levels. Saturated fats also increase LDL levels and are found in animal products such as red meat. The good kinds of fats and the ones you should look for are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol levels.

5. Super foods can prevent heart disease

Many fad diets tend to promote "super foods" as the way to prevent heart disease. However, there is no one food that can prevent heart disease. Studies have shown that certain diets can help lower the risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean diet, in particular, has been shown to lower heart disease risk as it composed of whole grains, fish, monounsaturated fats and fruits and vegetables, which are all beneficial for heart health. Other foods that are beneficial for heart health (but won’t prevent heart disease) include things like walnuts, fatty fish, blueberries and pomegranates.

6. Being only mildly physically active can reduce your risk of heart disease

Conducting some physical activity throughout the week is not enough to reduce your risk of heart disease. In order to actually lower your risk of heart disease, you need to engage in five or six sessions of moderate to vigorous physical activity every week. You should aim to do about half an hour of physical activity every day, which doesn’t all have to be at once. You can divide it up into 10 or 15 minute segments. However, you need to get up and move most of the week for your heart to benefit from exercise.

7. Surgery can cure coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease strikes when the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen get blocked. Bypass surgery can help restore the blood circulation by bypassing the region of blockage. Additionally, surgeons can use a stent to open the blood vessels and restore the blood flow. However, while these surgical techniques can help prevent a heart attack and will make you feel better, it does not cure the disease. You will still have coronary artery disease.

8. Heart surgery is not safe

Many people fear that heart surgery is not safe. However, that is not the case. If performed by an experienced surgeon, the risk of anything happening in the procedure is lower than one percent. Additionally, stenting is just as safe.

9. Women don’t get heart disease

This is completely untrue as more women actually die from heart disease every year than breast cancer. While men do develop coronary artery disease at a younger age compared to women, after menopause, the risk for having a heart attack is similar between men and women.

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