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Is red wine REALLY good for the heart? And do olives count towards your five a day? Test your knowledge about the heart with this myth-busting quiz
- Heart disease kills hundreds of thousands in the UK and US every year
- Test your knowledge of heart health with the British Heart Foundation’s quiz
It is a disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and the US every year.
But can you separate fact from fiction when it comes to heart disease?
A British Heart Foundation (BHF) quiz is helping to dispel common myths about the heart.
You will be asked to decide if the statements are true or false, for example, whether eating too much sugar causes type 2 diabetes or whether red wine is good for your heart.
After each answer, you will come across some heart facts to sharpen your knowledge.
You will first be asked if it is true or false that coughing vigorously during a heart attack can save your life.
Next, you will be asked to figure out if heart disease is a “man’s disease” or not.
The quiz then moves on to diet and will ask you which, or all, of canned, frozen, and fresh vegetables count toward your five a day.
You will then be asked whether or not you really need to detox regularly to cleanse your body of toxins.
The questionnaire also asks if you should stop eating before 8:00 p.m.
Other questions revolve around whether you think red wine is good for your heart, what counts as part of your five a day, and what foods you should limit to keep your heart healthy.
The last question will ask if it is true or false that dark chocolate is good for you.
Joanne Whitmore, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “There are many myths and misconceptions about the causes of heart disease and this quiz can help separate fact from fiction.”
“But the most important thing is that everyone understands how to take care of their heart and what are the risk factors that could increase their chances of developing heart disease.”
Heart and circulatory disease, also called cardiovascular disease, affects around 7.6 million people in the UK and 20.1 million in the US.
It is a general name for conditions that affect the heart or circulation, including high blood pressure, stroke, and vascular dementia.
There are several factors that increase the risk of heart disease, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, being obese or having diabetes.
Treatments can vary depending on your condition, but can be as simple as making lifestyle changes.
However, some people may need medication, heart surgery, a pacemaker, or an ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator).