Maintaining heart-healthy habits can be tricky when there are a lot of myths floating around. Should you avoid fats due to cholesterol? Is red wine heart-healthy or not?

With new research being conducted and new guidelines being announced regularly, its normal for some of these answers to change over time. Below, cardiologists debunk myths about heart health that you should know now:

Myth: You should not worry about your heart health if you are young.

If youre under 50, you may think you dont need to worry about your heart health and that your chance of getting heart disease is low. While its true that your risk of heart disease increases with age , it can start early as its directly affected by lifestyle habits.

The seven major modifiable risk factors for heart disease include smoking, inactivity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess weight and poor diet, Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and chief medical officer of Step One Foods , told HuffPost.

When it comes to monitoring your heart health, measuring risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar require a physical evaluation and lab testing.

Assuming your numbers are good, my rule of thumb is that people should have these tested twice in their 20s, three times in their 30s, four times in their 40s, and then yearly after age 50, Klodas said.