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Check
Your HEALTHY HEART I.Q.
| Answer
"true" or "false" to the following questions
to test your knowledge of heart disease and its risk factors.
Be sure to check the answers and explanations on the back of
this sheet to see how well you do. |
| 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. |
T |
F |
| 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. |
T |
F |
| 3. |
A
blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg is generally
considered to be high. |
T |
F |
| 4. |
High
blood pressure affects the same number of blacks as it does
whites. |
T |
F |
| 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. |
T |
F |
| 6. |
A
blood cholesterol of 240 mg/dL is desirable for adults. |
T |
F |
| 7. |
The
most effective dietary way to lower the level of your blood
cholesterol is to eat foods low in cholesterol. |
T |
F |
| 8. |
Lowering
blood cholesterol levels can help people who have already had
a heart attack. |
T |
F |
| 9. |
Only
children from families at high risk of heart disease need to
have their blood cholesterol levels checked. |
T |
F |
| 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. |
T |
F |
| 11. |
If
you have had a heart attack, quitting smoking can help reduce
your chances of having a second attack. |
T |
F |
| 12. |
Someone
who has smoked for 30 to 40 years probably will not be able
to quit smoking. |
T |
F |
| 13. |
The
best way to lose weight is to increase physical activity and
eat fewer calories. |
T |
F |
| 14. |
Heart
disease is the leading killer of men and women
in the United States. |
T |
F |
Prepared
by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
HEALTHY
HEART I.Q.
| 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 develop heart 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 of 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
stroke 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 pound 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:
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute NATIONAL INSTITUTES
OF HEALTH
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