Heart Your Health | Heart Disease Myths

Most people are under the impression that breast cancer is the leading cause of death for American women. A lot of people aren't aware that heart disease actually claims the lives of 1 in 3 women each year, while only 1 in 31 women die from breast cancer each year. Heart disease is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined and takes more women's lives than men.

 

MYTH #2  :  "Exercise alone will protect me."

While fitness is still very important to your health, it isn't the only factor that can decrease your risk for heart disease. Low cholesterol, healthy eating habits, and not smoking are some key factors in making sure heart disease is eliminated from your life. Even if you exercise regularly, you can still have high "bad" (LDL) cholesterol. If your family has a history of heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends getting your cholesterol checked before the age of 20.

 

MYTH #3  :"Heart disease runs in my family, so it's inevitable."

While you may be at a higher risk of heart disease if it runs in the family, there are still plenty of ways to significantly decrease your risk. Just by starting to recognize the signs of heart disease, more than 670,000 women have been able to prevent a diagnosis!