This Valentine’s Day, think about your heart health and your partner’s

• “Have fun, but be responsible: find new healthy recipes and cook them together, join an exercise class or take daily walks.”

As Valentine’s Day approaches, a Cleveland Clinic survey shows that two thirds of Americans (66%) in a committed relationship worry about their partner’s heart health.

In addition, 60% of Americans say they are more motivated to live a heart-healthy lifestyle for their partner than for themselves. This is especially true for men: 67% compared with 52% of women.

The survey was carried out as part of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart and Vascular Institute “Love your Heart” consumer education campaign, in celebration of American Heart Month. It looked at how relationships affect heart health.

According to the survey, most Americans in committed relationships look to their partners for motivation. An overwhelming majority (83%) agreed that if their partner adopted a heart-healthy diet, they would too, and 57% said they were more likely to exercise with their partner than alone.

“We know that strong emotions can affect the heart, even if only temporarily. But in the long term, partners can have an impact on each other’s heart health,” said Samir Kapadia, M.D., Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

“I recommend that couples adopt heart-healthy habits together. Have fun, but be responsible: find new healthy recipes and cook them together, join an exercise class or take daily walks. Making simple lifestyle changes can go a long way towards keeping the heart strong and healthy.”

Partners can also be a negative influence. About two thirds (64%) of Americans in relationships admit that they enable, or their partner enables, unhealthy heart habits. For example, far more couples said they would probably watch a TV programme with their partner (66%) than exercise together (46%).

Other survey findings:

• • Most Americans (86%) believe that emotional heartache can cause physical pain, and seven in ten (71%) also believe it is possible to die of a broken heart. Doctors say there is a “broken heart syndrome”, called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which is a response to sudden emotional stress, but it is rare.

• • Seven in ten (70%) Americans consider sex to be exercise, especially younger Americans under 55.

• • Men in committed relationships were especially likely to say their partners had a positive influence on their heart health: 78% compared with 67% of women.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for one in four deaths. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for cardiology and heart surgery for 25 consecutive years by US News & World Report.

Methodology

Cleveland Clinic’s general population survey gathered information on Americans’ perceptions of heart health and the prevention of heart problems.

The survey was conducted online among a national probability sample of 1,000 adults aged 18 and over living in the continental United States. The total sample data are nationally representative based on census data for age, gender, ethnicity and education.

The online survey was conducted by Dynata and completed between 23 and 26 September 2018. The margin of error for the total sample at a 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical centre that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based on the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation.

Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey.

Among Cleveland Clinic’s 66,000 employees are more than 4,200 salaried physicians and researchers and 16,600 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties.

Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals, more than 180 outpatient locations in northern Ohio – including 18 full-service family health centres and three health and wellness centres – and facilities in Weston, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England.

In 2018, there were 7.9 million outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and 220,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CCforMedia. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

Editor’s note: The Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.