sorayadania

4 years

What kind of Heart Disease?

I have heard of heart attack, heart failure and heart disease. What are the difference between them? I am confused.

Dr Ramzdhan,

2 years

"Hi, thank you for your question.
Many people think that supplements help protect you from heart disease or improve your heart condition. However, research claims that supplements do not improve your heart health. There are clinical trials where a group of people were given vitamins and the other group placebos. The results show that there is no evidence that supplements are beneficial and they were deemed unnecessary and ineffective. The only supplement that may possibly help is omega-3 fatty acids. They can help lower cholesterol levels which in turn lower the risk of developing heart disease, since high cholesterol is one of the risk factors.

Besides, taking too much supplements can be harmful. For example, excessive amounts of vitamin D and calcium can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Also, the contents of the supplements may not be the same as that listed on their label. Some actually contain fillers like powdered rice or other substances and do not contain any of the contents labelled. These fillers may even increase your risk of heart disease. Even if supplements do really help in improving your heart health, you are still at risk of developing heart disease if you do not lead a healthy lifestyle.

To protect your heart, it is still best that you eat a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, manage stress level and go for regular health screenings. If you wish to take supplements, ask your doctor if it is suitable for you and if it will cause any problems with the medications you are taking." Thank you.

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