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Nutrition Action Healthletter, March 2008
By the age of 40, your odds of having coronary heart disease are one out of three if you're a woman and one out of two if you're a man. Each minute, another American will die of a heart attack.
And dying isn't the only risk. Heart disease (like high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke) can increase your risk of dementia. What damages the blood vessels that feed your heart may also harm the blood vessels that nourish your brain.
The good news is that we understand more about how to prevent heart disease than almost any other major cause of death.
Take our quiz to find out what you know...and don't know. Don't worry if you draw a blank on some questions. They're tough.
There is only one correct answer for each question. Remember to close the popup window after you have clicked on "answer" and discovered whether you picked the right choice.
Signs of a Heart Attack
1. True or false? If you're under age 65, your risk of a heart
attack is low.
Answer
2. All of these symptoms could be a sign of a heart attack EXCEPT:
a. chest pain
b. nausea
c. neck pain
d. double vision
e. shortness of breath
Answer
3. True or false? Some signs of a heart attack are more common
in women than in men.
Answer
4. If you have symptoms of a heart attack, but they're not
severe, what should you do?
a. call 911 immediately
b. have someone drive you to the hospital immediately
c. call 911 if the symptoms don't go away in 10 minutes
d. take an aspirin and wait 10 minutes to see if the symptoms go away
e. try to reach your doctor
Answer
5. True or false? Women are more likely to survive
a heart attack than men.
Answer
Risk Factors
6. All of the following are major risk factors for heart disease
EXCEPT:
a. high LDL ("bad") cholesterol b, high blood pressure
b. high blood pressure
c. HDL ("good") cholesterol under 40
d. moderate alcohol consumption
e. cigarette smoking
Answer
7. True or false? You need a fasting blood
test to find out if your LDL ("bad") cholesterol is high.
Answer
8. Roughly what percent of women over age 75 have high blood
pressure?
a. 25
b. 45
c. 55
d. 75
e. 85
Answer
9. What percent of people over age 60 with high blood pressure
get their pressure under control?
a. 95
b. 75
c. 55
d. 35
e. 15
Answer
10. All of the following can lower blood pressure EXCEPT:
a. eating a low-salt diet
b. losing excess weight
c. taking a multivitamin
d. limiting alcohol to one drink a day (women) or two drinks a day (men)
e. exercise
Answer
11. True or false? High blood sugar can raise your risk of
heart disease.
Answer
12. All of the following can lower your blood sugar EXCEPT:
a. losing excess weight
b. exercise
c. taking a chromium supplement
d. eating fewer refined carbs
e. eating more beans
Answer
13. An of the following can raise HDL ("good") cholesterol
EXCEPT:
a. exercise
b. consuming alcohol in moderation
c. cutting saturated fat
d. losing excess weight
e. giving up cigarettes
Answer
14. The Metabolic Syndrome raises the risk of heart disease
(and diabetes). Each of the following is part of the syndrome EXCEPT:
a. a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight category
b. blood triglycerides of 150 or higher
c. HDL ("good") cholesterol less than 40 in men and less than
50 in women
d. blood pressure of 130/85 or higher
e. fasting blood sugar of 110 or higher
Answer
15. True or false? Roughly one out of four Americans has the
Metabolic Syndrome.
Answer
16. All of the following can lower triglycerides EXCEPT:
a. eating more fiber
b. eating less fat
c. losing excess weight
d. increasing exercise
e. taking fish oil pills
Answer
Foods
17. What's the most critical feature of a diet that lowers
your LDL ("bad") cholesterol?
a. low in fat
b. high in protein
c. low in carbohydrate
d. high in fiber
e. low in saturated and trans fat
Answer
18. True or false? Replacing carbs with protein or unsaturated
fat may protect your heart.
Answer
19. Eating all of the following can help lower your blood pressure
EXCEPT:
a. more vegetables
b. more fruit
c. less fatty meat
d. more low-fat dairy foods
e. more fat-free sweets
Answer
20. Which cereal is most likely to lower your risk of heart
disease?
a. Cheerios
b. All-Bran
c. Total
d. Grape-Nuts Flakes
e. Kellogg's Smart Start Antioxidants
Answer
21. A 6 oz. serving of which food has the least saturated fat?
a. skinless chicken breast
b. trimmed pork chop
c. trimmed filet mignon
d. skinless chicken thigh
e. trimmed sirloin steak
Answer
22. A 3 oz. serving of which food has the least saturated fat?
a. 90% lean ground beef
b. ground round
c. ground sirloin
d. ground turkey
e. ground turkey breast
Answer
23. Which of these foods is least likely to have trans fat?
a. cookies
b. potato chips
c. pie crust
d. French fries
e. microwave popcorn
Answer
24. A serving of which of these foods tends to be lowest in
sodium?
a. frozen entrées
b. lunch meats
c. canned soups
d. salted nuts
e. pasta sauce
Answer
25. Which of these spreads should lower your cholesterol the
most?
a. butter
b. light butter
c. stick margarine
d. tub margarine
e. fat-free margarine
Answer
26. Which of these nutrients is most likely to lower your risk
of a heart attack?
a. potassium
b. vitamin C
c. folic acid
d. vitamin E
e. calcium
Answer
27. Which of these foods is most likely to protect your heart?
a. green tea
b. nuts
c. chocolate
d. coffee
e. soy milk
Answer
28. Which sandwich typically has the most saturated fat?
a. egg salad
b. roast beef
c. grilled cheese
d. tuna salad
e. turkey
Answer
29. Which of the following is the best source of omega-3 fats?
a. tuna
b. salmon
c. flaxseed oil
d. soybean oil
e. soy milk with added omega-3s
Answer
30. All of the following should help lower your cholesterol
EXCEPT:
a. oatmeal
b. beans
c. orange juice with plant sterols
d. eggs with omega-3s
e. broccoli
Answer
How'd You Do?
22-30 Wow! How'd you find time between your heart patients to take a quiz?
15-21 Good Job! Can we give low scorers your number?
8-14 E-h-h-h-h. Using those old Nutrition Actions to line your kitty box?
0-7 OOPS! Thought about moving...a little closer to
the hospital, perhaps?
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