- Despite becoming an increasingly health-conscious nation, more than half of Brits are still oblivious to basic heart health.
- Almost half of the population do not know what constitutes a healthy body mass index.
- Mapped: how does the UK’s knowledge of heart health compare?
Greasy spoons may be under threat by today’s cappuccino culture, but heart disease is still one of Britain’s biggest killers, killing more than one in four people in the UK. But despite the shocking statistics – and the rise of “clean eating” and quinoa and kale consciousness – a new study by AFIB Matters has revealed that Brits are still relatively clueless when it comes to basic heart health.
In fact, more than half of us (50.5%) have poor knowledge on basic heart health, a study of 2,500 adults has found. Worryingly, that figure is even lower for men – with the survey revealing that only 49.8% of men are savvy on their heart health, compared to 51.5% of women.
And despite our nation becoming increasingly health-conscious, ignorance toward heart health rings true across the country. AFIB Matter’s survey found that those in the South East were the most clued up on heart health, though they still only scored 55.6% on their heart health test. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Northern Ireland, the land famous for its fried bread, Ulster Fry, was the most unknowing when it came to heart health. But despite offering the unique culinary delights of deep-fried Mars bars and sugary Irn-Bru, the Scots seemed to be much more aware of heart health, coming in the middle of the scoreboard, with just under half of respondents demonstrating a good knowledge on the subject.
AFIB Matters have created an infographic map to show how clued up Britons are on heart health across the country.
The Basic Heart Health Test
So what exactly should Brits know when it comes to heart health?
Well, only 38.1% of the 2,500 respondents questioned by AFIB Matters were able to say what our heart consists of (four heart chambers and four valves). Instead, 26.1% of those surveyed believed the heart has two heart chambers and two valves, 22.8% said that the heart has four heart chambers and two valves, and 13% thought the heart has three heart chambers and three valves.
And though we may be spending more than ever on gym memberships and fitness products, AFIB Matter’s survey also revealed that only 28% of Brits know how much weekly exercise is needed in order to reduce the risk of cardiac diseases, (150 minutes a week). The survey revealed that 17.4% of Brits believed that 90 minutes was enough weekly exercise to reduce the risk of cardiac diseases, 11.9% thought an hour per week would suffice, and shockingly, the majority of Brits (42.7%) thought that just 30 minutes of exercise per week would keep the heart happy.
It turns out we should have paid more attention in science classes too, as the survey revealed that most Brits are also unaware of the heart’s basic functions: only 29.9% of Brits knew that the heart pumps 4-5 litres of blood per minute, instead, 12.8% of respondents thought it pumped 2-3 litres per minute, 23.8% of Brits answered 6-7 litres, 15.8% answered 8-9 litres, and 17.7% answered 11-12 litres.
Similarly, AFIB Matter’s survey revealed that a shocking three quarters of Brits are clueless on the matter of blood pressure. 42.1% of those surveyed admitted they thought a healthy blood pressure reading was 90 over 60 or less, 23.3% thought a healthy blood pressure reading was 90 over 60 and less than 120 over 80, and surprisingly, 1 in 10 (10.1%) thought that a healthy blood pressure reading was 140 over 90 or higher.
Prof. Gregory Y. H. Lip (Birmingham, UK) from the AFIB Matters taskforce commented: “An important aspect of lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases is managing health behaviours and other risk factors, such as diet, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol and ensuring 150 minutes of exercise a week. We’re aware that many still need educating on the risks but we working towards creating public awareness about heart health and atrial fibrillation specifically. After all, atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm problem, and is associated with a 5 fold excess risk of stroke or death.”
