Heart Disease Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ

Heart Disease FAQs


Q:In the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. True or False?


Heart disease causes the deaths of over half a million people in the U.S. annually, which totals a quarter of all deaths in men and women each year. Approximately three quarters of a million U.S. heart deaths are from heart attack - most of these are first time heart attacks.

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Q:What is a myocardial infarction?

A:The definition of myocardial infarction is the medical term for heart attack.

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Q:What does sudden cardiac arrest mean for the heart?



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Q:What are symptoms of a heart attack?

A:The many symptoms of heart disease include:

- fatigue,
- weakness,
- shortness of breath,
- dizziness,
- palpitations,
- chest discomfort and/or pain,
- chest heaviness,
- nausea,
- vomiting, and
- pain that radiates to the jaw, arm, or throat.

Sometimes heart disease causes no symptoms at all.

People with the symptoms above persisting for longer than five minutes should call 9-1-1 immediately for emergency medical care. Your doctor should be notified for symptoms lasting less than five minutes. Urgent evaluation and care is key in preventing injury and death.

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Q:Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women. True or False?


Heart disease is the leading killer of women, leading to more women dying each year than all cancer deaths combined! Older women are more likely to have heart disease, however all women should be screened for prevention and early treatment.

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Q:What are risk factors for heart disease?

A:Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease.

They can also increase the chances that an existing disease will get worse. Important risk factors for heart disease are:

- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Having a family history of early heart disease
- Age (55 or older for women)

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A:A stroke.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is significantly impaired. A stroke that results from inadequate blood supply to the brain is referred to as an ischemic stroke. When a blood vessel to the brain breaks open and bleeds, it causes a hemorrhagic stroke.

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A:Both men and women.


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Q:People can be born with heart disease. True or False?


Congenital heart disease and congenital heart defects are heart problems that are present at birth. There are many forms of heart defects including abnormal development of the heart muscle, heart valves, and blood vessels into and out of the heart. Heart defects are common birth abnormalities, present in over 30,000 infants born annually.

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Heart disease and stroke were the causes of 50% of deaths in the U.S. by 1950. At that time, it was not fully understood what led to cardiovascular disease, and heart deaths were common in people 50 years of age.

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Q:What is the most common type of heart disease in the U.S.?

A:Coronary artery disease.


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Q:What is the medical term for chest pain?



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