Some myths about heart disease

Some helpful advice following a heart attack or heart surgery

Having a heart attack means I am at greater risk of having another.

Not necessarily. About 35% of all patients who survive a heart attack fall into a lower risk category and are unlikely to suffer another heart attack. Ideally each person should be assessed individually and many positive steps can be taken to avoid further heart trouble.

Because of my heart attack, my whole life will change. I will never be able to return to normal.

Wrong! The heart can recover quickly. Heart attack victims do not have to become “cardiac cripples” and with the right lifestyle modifications, can enjoy a better quality of life than before the attack.

A heart attack will have a really negative effect on my sex life.

Wrong again! The average amount of energy expended during sex is equivalent to walking up a flight of stairs and sexual intercourse, contrary to popular belief, is a rare cause of sudden death.
Now I have experienced a heart attack, it is too late to change for the better.

Still wrong! It is never too late to reduce your risk factors, e.g. improve your diet, increase exercise, and stop smoking.

Cholesterol free means total fat free.

Not true! Because the saturated fat content of food also helps to raise blood cholesterol. Some foods advertised as cholesterol free can be high in saturated fats.

To gain benefit from exercise, it has to be really strenuous.

Guess what, wrong yet again! Moderate levels of physical activity are all it takes to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease. Some exercise specialists have been guilty of “over prescribing” exercise, which can discourage people, particularly heart attack patients.

In my youth I always exercised regularly, and this will protect me.

Absolutely not! Even professional sports-persons have later suffered from heart disease, due to adopting a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise is like a current account, and you cannot hope to put on deposit what you did years ago. You need to exercise sensibly and regularly, at least three times a week for 20-30 minutes. The exercise should make you breathe harder, while still being able to talk. There is convincing evidence that regular, sensible exercise training can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, even after a heart attack.

Heart disease runs in my family, so there is little I can do to avoid heart problems.

Not necessarily so! It may be the bad habits that are the culprits, in that they have been followed for many years within a family.

I will know when my heart condition gets worse – I will have chest pains.

Again, that is not necessarily the case. Studies have shown that up to 10% of all middle-aged men can suffer from a condition called silent ischaemia. This means that your heart is not getting enough oxygen, but you are not aware of it. So it is best to keep in touch with your doctor, and to keep a check on your cardiac health.

My worries about heart disease are over since my heart surgery (angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery).

Definitely not true! If you follow the same bad habits that originally allowed you to develop heart disease, then you may damage the heart again.