Is red wine good for your heart? Test your heart knowledge with this myth-busting quiz

It’s a disease which kills hundreds of thousands of people across the UK and US every year.

But can you sort the fact from the fiction when it comes to heart disease? 

A quiz from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is helping to dispel common heart myths.

You will be asked to decide whether statements are true or false, such as if eating too much sugar causes type 2 diabetes or if red wine is good for your heart. 

After each answer, you will then be met with some heart facts to sharpen up your knowledge.

You will first be asked whether it is true or false that coughing vigorously during a heart attack can save your life.

Next you will be asked to decipher whether heart disease is a ‘man’s disease’ or not.

The quiz then moves on to diet, and will ask which, or all, of tinned, frozen and fresh vegetables count towards your five-a-day.

Next you will be asked whether you really need to detox regularly in order to cleanse your body of toxins or not. 

The quiz also asks if you should stop eating before 8pm. 

Other questions revolve around whether you think red wine is good for the heart, what counts as part of your five-a-day, and what foods should be limited to keep your heart healthy. 

The last question will ask whether it is true or false that dark chocolate is good for you. 

Joanne Whitmore, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation said: ‘There are lots of myths and misconceptions about the causes of heart disease and this quiz can help sort the facts from the fiction. 

‘But what is most important is that everyone understands how to look after their heart and to know what their risk factors are which might increase your chances of developing heart disease.’

Heart and circulatory disease, also called cardiovascular disease, affects around 7.6million people in the UK and 20.1million in the US.

It is an umbrella name for conditions that affect your heart or circulation, including high blood pressure, stroke and vascular dementia. 

There are several factors that increase your risk of heart disease, such as smoking, alcohol, being obese or having diabetes.

Treatments can vary depending on your condition but could be as simple as making lifestyle changes.

However some people may need medication, heart surgery, a pacemaker or an ICD – implantable cardioverter defibrillator.