The French should take better care of their hearts. Diet, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco… They are not aware of their impact on their cardiovascular health.
“Eat five fruits and vegetables a day”. Everyone knows. However, only a third of French people follow the recommendation, reports an Ifop * survey, for the Observatory of the Heart of the French, at the initiative of the French Federation of Cardiology They are only 40% to eat at least one fruit per day , and 38% at least once from vegetables.
“Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins which contribute to the good health of the arterial system,” recalls Dr. François Paillard, cardiologist at the CHU Pontchaillou in Rennes, and Vice-president of the French Federation of Cardiology. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease very consistently in all models. Just one fruit and one vegetable per day reduce the risk of heart attack by 15%. “
A gap between knowledge and practice
In addition to the lack of fruits and vegetables, the French eat too much salt. Almost two thirds of them regularly re-saline their dish at the table, and for almost a quarter, it is systematic. However, 77% consider that they have a balanced diet. This is the important observation underlined by the survey: we do not correctly assess the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Physical activity, too, is too neglected. For the majority of people questioned (57%), this is the main prevention factor. 61% say they move regularly. But among them, only 37% admit to limiting their practice of sport to one day per week, or even less. Their perception of the amount and frequency of activity is wrong.
Tobacco, the first factor to eliminate
The same goes for the importance of tobacco. Only 22% cite stopping smoking or not smoking as a means of prevention. It is however responsible for a quarter of cardiovascular deaths occurring before the age of 70, and 70 to 80% of myocardial infarctions in those under 50.
The French underestimate the consequences of tobacco on the health of the heart and arteries because they especially have in mind the consequences on the development of lung cancer, adds Dr. Paillard. Young subjects say to themselves, “It’s okay I’m strong, I can do a lot of physical activity, so my heart is fine, but they don’t realize that it’s their arteries that can be severely damaged.” “
Being aware of cardiovascular disease, we nevertheless underestimate its impact. More than three quarters of those polled estimate that they kill less than 200 people a day. This is actually double, or 150,000 deaths per year. “Cardiovascular diseases represent a real public health issue and urgent action is needed,” explains Professor Claire Mounier-Vehier, president of the French Federation of Cardiology. The French tell us that they regard the heart by far as the most important organ in the body. They are aware that they have to take care of it. But we notice a significant gap between a global knowledge of the habits to be adopted to protect his heart and a real difficulty in putting them into practice on a daily basis. “
The website of the French Federation of Cardiology recalls, on his site, good practices to adopt, and practical daily advice on how to keep them.
Survey conducted by a self-administered online questionnaire from November 14 to 16, 2016 with a sample of 2,001 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
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