23% of people lie to their doctors—and mostly about CV risk factors
A recent survey of 500 U.S. residents revealed nearly half of those who admit lying to their physicians fib about their smoking or exercise habits, while another third are dishonest about the amount of alcohol they consume.
All three of those factors—namely the first two—are considered modifiable lifestyle habits that, if controlled, can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease. Giving up tobacco and getting active are two of the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7” guidelines for improving heart health, and numerous studies have linked excessive alcohol consumption to poorer CV outcomes.
Life insurance company TermLife2Go asked 500 people if they’d ever lied to their doctor, and the July 23 results revealed that more than one-fifth do. Of the 23% who admitted stretching the truth:
- 46% lied about their smoking habits
- 43% lied about their exercise habits
- 38% lied about their drinking habits
- 29% lied about their sexual partners
Men were more likely than women to lie about their true alcohol consumption (50% vs. 32%, respectively), but women were more likely to lie about their sexual history (33% compared to 21% of men). Three-quarters of people admitted they lied to avoid feeling embarrassed, but one man said he fibbed about his alcohol consumption “to avoid a lecture from his doc” and one young woman admitted she lied about her sexual activity because her mother was in the room.
An additional 31% of patients—a group that was 80% female—said they lied to avoid some kind of discrimination from their physicians. Twenty-two percent said they lied because they didn’t think their doctor would take them seriously if they told the truth.
Age also seemed to play a part in the survey’s results. Respondents over 35 years old were more likely to lie about their exercise habits (or lack thereof), while those under 35 more often lied about smoking tobacco.
“In general, most people (77% of those we surveyed) are honest with their doctor,” the TermLife2Go report read. “But that honesty isn’t always comfortable. In fact, almost half of our survey respondents said they feel uncomfortable talking to their doctors about their sexual activities. On the other hand, 34% said they were comfortable talking with their doctor about anything.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.