From James Bond playing poker after a cardiac arrest to a dramatic collapse in Four Weddings and A Funeral, the inaccurate portrayal of heart attacks in movies is endangering the public, warn experts

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The British public will be overindulging in food, drink and cardiac misinformation this Christmas as they settle down to watch inaccurate movies which could affect their chances of surviving a heart attack, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) warns.

Previous research reveals four in 10 people believe the symptoms and treatment of heart disease we see on the big screen, this could be fatal if it causes them to miss the warning signs in themselves or others.

In Casino Royale, a sweaty James Bond self-defibrillates, with the help of a Bond girl, after going into cardiac arrest when poisoned. After a miraculous recovery, 007 resumes his interrupted poker game without any sign of the common brain injury complication.

During a groom’s speech in Four Weddings & a Funeral, Simon Callow’s character Gareth dramatically grasps at his chest while suffering out-of-the-blue chest pain before falling to the ground, knocking over a tray and scattering cutlery everywhere. 

Field Operation Agent Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, miraculously springs back into action without needing any recovery time after having his heart restarted in the third Mission Impossible installment. 

An iconic scene in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction sees John Travolta’s character Vincent Vega revive Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman, after she overdoses on heroin and loses consciousness. An adrenaline injection straight into the heart, which is not recommended for any cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), is enough to make Mia convulse around the room. 

In Ocean’s Thirteen, Elliott Gould, who plays a flamboyant entrepreneur, is seen having a ‘heart attack’ when he dramatically falls to the ground and clutches his chest after learning he has been deceived.

Around 250,000 people have a heart attack a year in the UK, of which one third die before they get to hospital; usually due to them not being treated in time. 

b056ddb167fd2d15987c99034ae0b266 From James Bond playing poker after a cardiac arrest to a dramatic collapse in Four Weddings and A Funeral, the inaccurate portrayal of heart attacks in movies is endangering the public, warn experts

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