One in four people have revealed that they need a major shock before they start taking the health of their heart seriously.
Britons Need A Health Shock To Worry About Heart Disease
A new study from Bupa has revealed that our heart is not the not the top of our agenda when it comes to our health, with 25%* saying that it took someone they know to have a heart attack before they started to take their own heart health seriously.
While 51% say that they are worried about getting heart disease during their lifetime, a whopping 80% revealed that they don't know what the signs for heart disease actually are.
Dr Steven Luttrell, Medical Director at Bupa says:"Coronary heart disease is the biggest cause of death in the UK causing almost 74,000 deaths every year [1]. With nearly 2.3 million people in the UK living with heart disease, people need to be more aware of the risk factors associated with the disease."People can't afford to wait until they face a health scare to take action. We can all take active steps now to reduce our future risk of heart disease."
Understanding the signs of heart disease and knowing how to prevent it are key, but a worrying number of people had very little knowledge about the disease and how to protect themselves from it. Of those who were part of the study, only 26% knew their cholesterol level, 37% new their blood pressure reading, and 42% (which is four in ten) knew their BMI.
Dr Steven Luttrell continues: "Everyone can do something to help reduce their future risk of heart disease, even if you don't think you're at high risk. More women die prematurely from heart disease than breast cancer, so it's vital that both men and women lead healthy lifestyles by maintaining a healthy weight, doing some physical exercise, and not smoking.
"I'd recommend speaking to your doctor or having a health assessment to check your cardiac risk, learn more about your health and to get helpful advice. Taking steps now to live a healthier lifestyle really can make the world of difference."
*All figures, unless stated otherwise are from OnePoll survey commissioned by Bupa of 2000 18+ adults between 20th January 2015 and 22nd January 2015. The survey was carried out online and on mobile.