The staples of being heart healthy are not a mystery: eat better, exercise, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much. But, of course, that’s not all. We put together this short video quiz to test your knowledge of heart health.
For our first question, let’s get a better sense of the size of the health problem posed by heart attacks.
1. Every year, about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Roughly how many of those are a person’s first one?
Is it a) 300 thousand b) 400 thousand c) 500 thousand or d) 600 thousand?
According to the CDC, 525 thousand cases a year are first time heart attacks. That’s two thirds of all heart attacks. So, just because you haven’t had one doesn’t mean you’re not likely to have one. The correct answer is C.
2. How many recommended minutes of exercise should we all get each week for a healthy heart?
Do you think it’s a) 100 minutes b) 150 minutes c) 200 minutes or d) 250 minutes?
This answer is a little tricky. The American Heart Association says you should get 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity or at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly. That means the correct answer for our purposes is B. You’re all exercising that much, right?
3. According to the Mayo Clinic, which of these should you limit yourself eating in order to have a heart healthy diet?
a) Frozen vegetables and fruits b) low-sodium canned vegetables c) canned fruits packed in juice or water or d) coconut?
How many of you guessed C because you thought the juice packed fruits aren’t as good for you? You’d be right if there’s added sugar in both, but that’s not generally true. The one you have to look out for is coconut. This is because coconut has saturated fat, which add to the bad levels of cholesterol, like trans fats do. So, if you guessed D, you are correct!
4. Which of these symptoms is NOT always a sign of heart attack in women according to the Cleveland Clinic?
Is it a) chest pains b) unusual fatigue c) sweating or d) neck, jaw, back pain?
The answer is going to surprise you. First, in most cases, people experiencing chest pains are most likely not having a heart attack. It’s more about chest pressure, tightness. It’s rarely as dramatic as you see on TV. So, the correct answer is A.
We’ve actually written a lot about heart health over the years. The rest of these questions are going to relate to our blog posts. Because of course you’re reading all of those, we expect perfect scores from here on out.
5. Can having too much calcium lead to a widowmaker heart attack?
Do you think it’s a) yes or b) no?
There’s a lot of research into the effect of too much cholesterol on the heart, but did you know that many people who die from the widowmaker have quite good overall cholesterol scores? It’s actually calcium buildup in the heart, clogging arteries that can lead a seemingly healthy person to suddenly have a widowmaker heart attack. Only by regular testing can you flag this type of heart attack in advance. So, congrats to everyone who said a) yes.
6. Which of these celebrities did not die of a heart attack? Do you remember the correct answer from 10 Surprising Celebrity Heart Attacks?
Is it a) Jim Morrison b) John Ritter c) Lucky Luciano d) Orville Redenbacher?
All four of these guys did have a heart attack. Some of you probably think Morrison O.D.ed, by the real cause of death was heart failure. John Ritter collapsed on the set of 8 Simple Rules, taking everyone by surprise. Lucky Luciano did not die in a hail of bullets. He died in Naples airport of a heart attack waiting to meet with a film/television producer. The popcorn spokesperson was alone in a hot tub when his heart gave out. As a result, he drowned officially. Everyone who said Orville Redenbacher is right. It’s D.
Last question. And this is probably the most important one to know. Let’s see how you do.
7. Which one of these is NOT one of our 5 secrets you should not keep from your doctor?
Is it a) if you are taking vitamins or supplements b) if another doctor has performed tests on you c) if you are going through hard times or d) if you stopped taking medication?
This is how important the answer is, all four of these are something you absolutely SHOULD tell your doctor. So, it’s a trick question. But you eagle-eyed readers of our blogs already knew that. C tends to be the thing most people keep from their doctor and that’s not good because that’s the situation that leads to the most stress, which can trigger disease.
So, that’s it! How did you do? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook & Twitter pages. Until next time.
*Sources: Mayo Clinic, American Heart Associaton, CDC, Cleveland Clinic
