New Florida survey shows we’re confused about heart health

Does fish oil truly improve heart health? How about aspirin or statins?

A newly released Cleveland Clinic online survey of 251 Florida adults found that many don’t know what can harm or improve their heart health.

While 72% of Floridians are aware that stress can negatively impact heart health, about two in five do not recognize that alcohol consumption and lack of sleep also have detrimental effects, the survey found.

Vitamins: One of the most common ways Floridians attempt to lower their heart disease risk is through vitamins and supplements. About 48% of survey participants said they take supplements to support heart health. Their top supplements for heart health include vitamin D, multivitamins and fish oil.

Dr. Mauricio Cohen, an interventional cardiologist with Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, said people should exercise caution when taking supplements for heart health.

“I think that patients have a misconception that supplements have less side effects and are better than the medicines,” Cohen said. “Multiple clinical trials looking at supplements and different vitamins have never shown improved outcomes.”

He wants people to know that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements, so the quality and quantity of the ingredients in a supplement are not ensured.

For people with high triglycerides, Cohen does recommend prescription fish oil, which contains higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids than over-the-counter fish oil supplements.

Aspirin: Taking aspirin every day may lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yet daily aspirin therapy isn’t for everyone, according to doctors.

“Aspirin affects the platelets. It decreases the formation of clots that cause heart attacks,” Cohen said. “The role of aspirin in modern cardiovascular medicine is for patients who already had heart attacks or strokes. It prevents recurrent heart attacks and strokes and prolongs life.”

Cohen recommends against a daily aspirin for anyone who hasn’t had a previous heart problem. “It has not proven to prolong survival or decrease heart attacks, and there is a potential for harm, a small risk of increased bleeding,” he explained.

When it comes to heart health, cardiologists often prescribe medication to people at high risk for heart disease or stroke.

Statins and medications: More than 97% of Floridians surveyed by Cleveland Clinic said they would be willing to take a statin or other prescribed heart medication if recommended by their doctor. However, most believe that medication should be a last resort.

Some people have side effects from statins, typically muscle aches.  A new class of drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors are considered an alternative.

“Those are very effective medicines that can be added to statins in patients who are very high risk or can be used instead of statins in patients with side effects,” Cohen said. “Those are good medicines … they have been tested in clinical trials and work very well.”

Cleveland Clinic’s survey findings also reveal that three in five individuals who take heart medications admit to skipping doses or taking less than prescribed, mainly because they forget or feel like they take too many pills.

“Much like any critical treatment, adhering to heart medications is crucial for managing symptoms, preventing complications, and ensuring long-term health,” said Dr. Jose Navia, vice-chief at the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. “When skipped, these medications cannot effectively prevent the progression of such heart disease or related conditions, putting overall health at significant risk.”

Family history plays a role in heart disease, and about 88% of Floridians said they know whether the medical condition runs in their family. However, many are unaware of genetic factors. A key genetic marker for heart disease risk is lipoprotein(a) and only 22% of people surveyed said they have had their level checked.

“In general doctors don’t test for this risk factor because it’s actually not modifiable,” Navia said. “There are new efforts underway in the science community to develop medications to decrease lipoprotein(a). So we need to stay tuned.”

The American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update  revealed heart disease kills more people in the U.S. than any other cause including cancer and car accidents.

UF researchers discover potential depression treatment

A new study led by researchers at UF Health has uncovered how brain function makes men and women respond differently to acute stress. Those clues may lead to a new way to treat depression.

“Men, in general, tend to have a greater propensity to display outward, aggressive reactions to acute stress, whereas women have a much greater tendency to internalize their responses. This distinction is believed to contribute to the higher female prevalence of anxiety and depression,” said Marco Bortolato, a professor of pharmacodynamics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and senior author of the study published Jan. 22 in Science Advances.

The UF study revealed that acute stress raises levels of certain enzymes in the front region of the brain in men but not women. That enzyme is needed to produce a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone, or AP, which is the body’s initial stress response that helps them quickly adapt and regulate their reactions.

This finding could have major implications, Bortolato said.

“For instance, understanding why women are more susceptible to depression than men allows us to tailor more targeted treatments,” he said. “Ultimately, these findings could help guide the development of drugs that specifically modulate stress responses.”

He sees potential to translate these findings into new medicines with steroid-based compounds that could treat forms of depression resistant to current therapies.

“Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, largely due to increasing levels of chronic stress,” Bortolato said. “Conventional antidepressants often take two to four weeks to show initial results. Conversely, AP-based treatments could have much faster effects. Enhancing our ability to produce AP could transform the way we approach depression and other stress-related disorders.”

Heart transplant recipients, doctors reunite

To celebrate Heart Health Month, about 100 heart transplant recipients will reunite with their doctors on Monday at Memorial Regional Hospital Conference Center.  Included in the celebration will be Maria Cattani, who hosts an environment-focused podcast; Portia Brown, who had both a heart and kidney transplant; Marina Alix, who had the first heart transplant in Broward County; and Karenine Chery, who has returned to her career as a nurse at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

The hospital has completed 148 adult heart transplants and 87 children since launching 10 years ago. Memorial said the heart transplant program has grown in the last year, with 43 adult transplants completed in 2024.

STD rates rising in Florida, condom use declining

Florida’s Sexually Transmitted Disease crisis is growing: Rates have surged 42% in the past decade, reaching their highest levels since 1990. In 2023, Florida reported 788 STD cases per 100,000 people, up from 762 cases per 100,000 people in 2022.

The trend is driven by several factors, including declining condom use, according to The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit that researches sexual health.

Guttmacher reports that condom use among adolescent males dropped from 78% for the five years between 2011–2015 to 72% from 2015–2019. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  confirms STDs nationally remain at crisis levels.

Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida wants Floridians to know that routine sexually transmitted infection testing has become more convenient. Rapid tests take only about 10 minutes and provide same-day results. The tests can be done for free or at a low cost at Planned Parenthood clinics as well as urgent care centers, health centers, and some pharmacies.

Got health tips or comments? South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at [email protected].