Could your eating habits lead to heart failure? A doctor has stated that two specific behaviors when eating hot pot can damage the heart and easily lead to heart failure, which has a mortality rate as high as 50 percent. The doctor also indicated that if you experience three specific symptoms, it may reflect that heart function is deteriorating or has already failed, requiring immediate medical attention.
Cardiologist Dr. Chan Kun-yam explained on the program "Health Roll Call" that heart failure is essentially the end result of deteriorating heart function. Any condition that leads to this deterioration, such as severe arrhythmia or myocardial infarction, can damage the heart's function, making it weak and triggering heart failure.
He analogized heart failure to being like "cancer of the heart," citing statistics showing its five-year mortality rate is 50 percent, surpassing that of ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.
Chan explained that when the body takes in too much fluid or salt, the heart can become unable to handle the excess, leading to pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) and difficulty breathing. He warned that the following hot pot habits can easily harm heart function and, in severe cases, cause heart failure:
Drinking the hot pot soup broth.
Using heavy, salty dipping sauces (e.g., Sha Cha sauce).
Chan noted that frequently eating salty, strong-flavored foods can easily cause the body to retain water, increasing the burden on the heart. He shared a case of a female patient who sought treatment for shortness of breath. After examination, she was found to have pulmonary edema. The cause was her habit of frequently drinking the hot pot broth and using salty dipping sauces during meals, leading to excessive salt intake.
What symptoms does heart failure cause? Chan outlined the three common symptoms of heart failure:
Symptom 1: Breathlessness
Getting out of breath easily even at rest.
Becoming more short of breath than before during activities (e.g., needing a long rest after climbing just one flight of stairs when you could previously manage two or three).
Symptom 2: Swelling
Swelling in the lower limbs, pulmonary edema, decreased urine output.
Swelling from heart failure typically appears in both legs simultaneously. Swelling in only one leg might indicate a different issue like a blood clot.
Symptom 3: Fatigue
Easily feeling tired, decreased activity levels.
This is the hardest symptom to distinguish, as anyone can feel tired. However, if fatigue occurs alongside the other two symptoms, it could indicate heart failure, and you should seek medical检查 promptly.
On the program "After-Hours Economics," Chan mentioned that people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar (the "Three Highs"), those with blocked arteries or arrhythmia, and those with valvular heart disease are at higher risk of heart failure. He recommended regularly eating the following three types of food to maintain cardiovascular health and help prevent or even reverse heart failure:
Avocados: Eating half to one avocado daily can help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
Purple Fruits and Vegetables: Eggplant, blueberries, cranberries, and red onions contain beneficial phytochemicals that help fight cancer and aging.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower can help protect cardiovascular health.
