National study reveals Americans do not know facts or risk of heart disease

BOCA RATON, Fla., January 31, 2019 / PRNewswire / – While 7 out of 7 Americans recognize that heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women, a national survey conducted by MDVIP and Ipsos found that people are even more concerned about cancer ( 62%) only by the heart attacks (55%). Some 62% of Americans have failed the "Heart Attack IQ" questionnaire, proving the alarming lack of knowledge about heart disease, risk factors and prevention.

"The health community has made significant progress in raising public awareness of heart disease, yet our research shows a significant gap in people's understanding of the disease and their own risk." heart attack, "said Dr. Andrea Klemes, Chief Medical Officer. of MDVIP. "Considering that at least 80% of cardiac events are preventable, GPs are a first line of defense to help prevent or even reverse the disease through a more comprehensive risk badessment, better education and better supervision. in health, which together lead to long-term treatments, the lifestyle of patients. "

The survey reveals that many Americans are unsure, if not misinformed, of the risk factors for a heart attack and what increases a person's chances of having one. a.

Confusion on cholesterol and heart disease
Most Americans (75%) do not know that a heart attack occurs when a blood clot forms on a plaque lesion in the arteries. Three-quarters of Americans (75%) do not know that most heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels.

High levels of cholesterol promote the formation of fatty deposits called plaques in the arteries, which harden and shrink. When the plaque becomes unstable and breaks, a blood clot forms, resulting in a heart attack. The inflammation in the arteries is the trigger of a cardiovascular event.

Only 14% of American adults had their inflammatory markers checked in the last year, while more than half (54%) had their cholesterol levels checked during the same period.

Fat and heart disease
Another common misconception found in the survey is that all the fat is bad:

• More than half of Americans (52%) incorrectly believe that cardiac people should eat as little fat as possible, regardless of the value of unsaturated fats in foods such as salmon and nuts, which can really contribute to reduce the risk of heart attack. .
• Americans are also struggling to differentiate bad fats. When presented with a list of four foods (medium fries, 3 oz of filet mignon, a scrambled egg, a cup of ice cream), only 9% correctly identified the ice cream cup, which is the richest in saturated fats. for cholesterol.

Prevention of heart attacks: a "primary concern"
Primary Care Physicians (PCP) play a key role in the education and prevention of heart disease. Yet less than half of Americans (42%) report having really discussed their heart health with their PCP. Similarly, only 42% of them were trained by their PCP on specific lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise, and meditation, to help prevent or manage diseases. heart.

"People do not always consider lifestyle as part of medicine, but it is a discipline that has proven itself today to prevent, even reverse or" reverse "many chronic conditions such as heart disease, "said Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and bestselling author with his latest book titled To do! (Ornish.com). "Changes in daily eating, exercise, stress management, and relationship choices are simple, but require proper counseling and support." Primary care physicians such as the MDVIP network , who make lifestyle coaching an integral part of preventive care and have more time to spend with their patients, can have a major impact on improving the heart health and overall well-being of their patients. "

With heart disease, gender is important
Only 26% of women know that women are less likely to survive a first heart attack than men. The survey also shows that women are lagging behind men in prevention and knowledge of heart disease.

• Only 31% of women (versus 53% of men) sought advice from their GP about how to manage or prevent heart disease.
• Only 55% of women (versus 67% of men) say they know the risk factors for heart disease.
• Only 43% of women (versus 56% of men) consider themselves well informed about the best methods of screening for heart disease.

Dr. Klemes added, "Whether you are a man, a woman, in your thirties or at the age of 90, heart disease is not discriminatory, which is why people need to badociate with a doctor. that goes beyond basic principles to paint a more comprehensive picture of our MDVIP members' results data is a black and white proof that when doctors have time to work closely with patients and to use more advanced tests, they can identify the risks earlier.more preventative action and keep them out of the hospital ".

About the investigation of heart attacks
These are the results of an Ipsos survey conducted November 15 to 16, 2018, on behalf of MDVIP. For the survey, a sample of 1,006 adults aged 18 and over from the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online, in English. The accuracy of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the survey credibility interval is ± 3.5 percentage points for all respondents. For more information on Ipsos' online survey methodology, please see the Public Opinion Polling and Communication section.

About MDVIP
MDVIP is the premier market in the membership-based health care market that far exceeds concierge services. With a national network of more than 950 primary care physicians, MDVIP is at the forefront of consumer-led care. MDVIP-affiliated physicians limit the size of their practices, giving them the time to provide patients with highly personalized service and attention, including a comprehensive annual preventive care program and a personalized wellness plan. Published research shows that the MDVIP model identifies more patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, provides more preventive health services and allows the health system to save millions of dollars by reducing the number of hospitalizations and readmissions. For more information, visit www.mdvip.com.

Media contact:
Nancy Udell
MDVIP Media Relations
561.310.5455
[email protected]

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SOURCE MDVIP