![The survey finds many Americans underestimate the threat of heart disease. [sitthiphong / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/67f0701/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F2%2F03%2FDoctor%20with%20stethoscope.jpg)
A finds that most Americans 鈥� including 80 percent of millennials 鈥� don鈥檛 know heart disease is the leading cause of death for women.
Many of the respondents incorrectly thought it was breast cancer.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for young people to be aware, because heart disease is preventable,鈥� said Dr. Leslie Cho, director of the Cleveland Clinic Women鈥檚 Cardiovascular Center. 鈥淲e can control our blood pressure, risk of diabetes, cholesterol, and obviously smoking cessation is a huge part of lowering your risk for heart disease.鈥�
Family history is one risk factor for heart disease, but 90 percent of the other risk factors are preventable. The survey found that only 8 percent of Americans knew that.
It鈥檚 important for people to prevent heart disease as early as possible, which is why awareness is key, Cho said.
鈥淎wareness is really important because it changes how we view our future health,鈥� she said.
When people are aware of the risk factors, they are more likely to get their blood pressure checked or eat better to prevent heart disease, Cho said.