Over ½ of Brits clueless about basic heart health

GREASY spoons may be under threat by today's cappuccino culture, but heart disease is still 1 of Britain's biggest killers, killing more than 1 in 4 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 ½ 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, scoring a dismal 38.2%. 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 ½ of respondents (48%) demonstrating a good knowledge on the subject.

AFIB Matters have created an infographic map online to show how clued up Britons are on heart health across the country.

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 (4 heart chambers and 4 valves). Instead, 26.1% of those surveyed believed the heart has 2 heart chambers and 2 valves, 22.8% said that the heart has 4 heart chambers and 2 valves, and 13% thought the heart has 3 heart chambers and 3 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 to 5 litres of blood per minute, instead, 12.8% of respondents thought it pumped 2 to 3 litres per minute, 23.8% of Brits answered 6 to 7 litres, 15.8% answered 8 to 9 litres, and 17.7% answered 11 to 12 litres.

Similarly, AFIB Matter's survey revealed that a shocking 75% 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. Only a ¼ (24.5%) knew that a healthy blood pressure reading was more than 120 over 90 and less than 140 over 90.

There is great potential to improve health by avoiding certain risks like smoking and a poor diet, but it's also important to understand that good heart health starts with awareness.

Heart diseases can come in many different forms; but 1 that has become much more common in the past 20 years is atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart condition that causes an irregular, and often rapid, heart rate, and potentially heart failure or stroke.

AF affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK, but according to AFIB Matter's survey, only ½ of Brits (50.7%) were aware of the disease, and knew that atrial fibrillation was a type of abnormal heart rhythm. Worryingly, 20.9% thought AF was the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels, 9% thought it was an abnormality/defect with the structure of the heart, and 19.5% thought it was when blood supply to the heart becomes restricted.

Over a third (37.6%) of Brits knew that persistent atrial fibrillation means AF that lasts longer than 7 days. 36% actually thought it was when AF occurs despite the usage of drugs, 21% believed it was when AF occurs more than once per month, and 5.4% said that it is when AF is not treated for more than 1 year.

What's more concerning is that almost a ⅓ of Brits did not know that atrial fibrillation could occur in all ages. 23.3% believed it would only occur in people over 70 years old, and 5.1% thought it was only occur in people over 40 years old. 4.3% believed AF occurred particularly in young adults. Moreover, while 34% of Brits knew that atrial fibrillation cannot cause hypertension, a distressing 20.4% of Brits thought that AF couldn't cause heart failure, 23.3% didn't think it would cause palpitations, and 22.3% did not believe it would cause a stroke. But while the majority of Brits were oblivious to heart health basics, they were aware of what constitutes a healthy body mass index (BMI). Interestingly, over ½ of Brits (53.8%) knew that a BMI score of 20 would mean they were at a healthy weight and would not need to lose any weight. However, 18% of those surveyed thought a BMI of 25 indicated a healthy weight and no need to lose weight, 16.8% thought it was a BMI of 28, and even 11.3% thought a BMI of 32 was low enough not to need to shed the pounds; when in actual fact, a BMI of 28 and over would be considered overweight.

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."

RPC bpi protec donates ₤500 to Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes

AS part of its support for local good causes, RPC bpi protec has donated ₤500 to the Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes Charity. The charitable donation was proposed by Kirk Philips who works at the Bromborough site as an Extrusion Operator and where he is also a Union Representative. Kirk is a rider for Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes and has volunteered with them for over a year.

Blood bikes have been established in the UK for more than 40 years and Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes aim to relieve sickness and protect health through the provision of emergency transport of urgently needed blood and other medical requirements across the North West Region of England.

Kirk received the cheque from David Lumley, RPC bpi protec's Managing Director and Gary Stanley, RPC bpi group's Purchasing Director.

Commenting on the donation David said:- "Supporting our local community is a key part of our corporate and social responsibility. When Kirk proposed Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes we were delighted to be able to help and provide a donation to this important service that benefits many across the North West."

Kirk told us that:- "I am very happy and proud to receive the cheque on behalf of Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes. Donations such as this are essential to keeping our service going and ensure we can continue to support the NHS so that their funds can be used in the treatment of patients rather than on transport."