Statistically speaking

Results from a telephone poll of 1,002 U.S. adults (485 men and 517 women), with region, gender, age, race and ethnicity weighted to be nationally representative:

» Most Americans are concerned about dying from heart disease (68%) and understand several of the measures needed to calculate their risk.

» A majority of Americans understand that their blood pressure (77%), weight (67%), LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol (52%) and body mass index (52%) are important factors regarding the risk of heart disease.

» Significantly fewer Americans (36%) know that their waist circumference and fasting glucose level (29%) are important factors in determining heart disease risk.

» While half (52%) are aware that body mass index is an important factor, only about a quarter (23%) know that a person is considered overweight with a BMI of 25 or more.

» More than half (59%) of Americans incorrectly think that knowing one’s heart rate is an important factor in calculating heart disease risk.

» Only one-third (34%) of Americans know that an “appleshaped body” (upper body fat especially in the stomach region) is most dangerous for their heart health.

» A majority of Americans know that uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack (75%), stroke (74%), heart failure (62%) and death (60%). However, fewer know that uncontrolled high blood pressure can also cause aneurisms (45%).

» Only four in 10 Americans understand a normal blood pressure reading is less than 120 (systolic) and less than 80 (diastolic).

» Americans are more likely to believe the leading cause of death in people with diabetes is kidney disease/failure (35%). Only 27% know the actual cause of death is heart disease.

Misperceptions also exist when it comes to good vs. bad cholesterol and prevention.

» Half (52%) of Americans are aware that LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is an important number to know in order to understand their risk of heart disease.

» However, only one-quarter know that HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is your “good” cholesterol.

» Most Americans are either unsure (33%) or mistaken (51%) that triglycerides are a type of cholesterol.

» Interestingly, millennials (ages 18- 34) are the least likely to make that mistake (43% vs. 51% overall think this is true).

» The vast majority (88%) of Americans do not know they should start getting cholesterol screened at age 18 to 24.

» Nearly seven in 10 (67%) Americans have taken one or more types of supplements regularly to enhance their heart health.

» Many Americans regularly take supplements, such as multivitamins (46%), fish oil (31%), B vitamins (26%), Omega 3s (23%), magnesium (13%) or CoQ10 (10%) to improve their heart health.

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Tags: Healthcare, Cardiac Care