Americans fail national heart disease quiz

Association calls for public education

Nearly 50% of all Americans in a recent national survey did not know the warning signs of a heart attack, and 63% could not identify the early signs of a stroke. The Discovery Health Channel in Bethesda, MD, and the American Heart Association in Dallas commissioned the telephone poll of 750 randomly selected Amer icans age 18 years or older to test the public’s knowledge about heart disease and stroke.

"Although many Americans are taking steps to improve their health, protect and strengthen their heart, and reduce their chances of stroke, they can still do a lot more," says Lynn Smaha, MD, PhD, president of the American Heart Association. "In addition, there is a lack of awareness about heart disease and stroke that needs to be directly addressed through public education."

Nearly half unprepared for emergencies

Other findings include:

• 42% of Americans surveyed did not remember that the first action to take when someone is having a heart attack is to call 911.

• 69% of respondents did not know that the risk of heart attack in women rises sharply if menopause is caused by surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries.

• Only 65% of respondents diagnosed with heart and/or stroke-related conditions said they follow the advice of their physicians and other health professionals "a great deal."

• Nearly 50% of respondents are poorly prepared to act decisively in an emergency because they do not recognize the warning signs.

• 43% of respondents did not know what actions to take when someone suffers a heart attack or stroke.

• 43% of respondents were not trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

For poll highlights, see www.discoveryhealth. com and www.americanheart.org. Case managers can test their patients’ heart disease and stroke awareness against those in the national study by taking the three tests available on both Web sites — "Heart Attack Warning Signs," "Stroke Warning Signs," and "What is Your Heart IQ?"