In this case, well-intentioned is ill-advised: This chain letter, which describes instructions “On the topic of heart attacks,” is more dangerous than helpful.
The most important thing about heart attack chain letters in brief:
- Chain letters have existed for many years!
- Letter describes a coughing technique
- Doctors warn against incorrect use
It is a chain letter that has been sent out for a few years. This chain letter describes a type of coughing technique that you should use if you are having a heart attack.
The chain letter begins with the words "On the subject of *heart attack*... pause for 2 minutes and read this: (I'm curious to see which of my friends will take the time):". What you should do in this case is then explained in detail.
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The letter was originally published on Facebook, but due to its chain letter nature it is now primarily distributed on WhatsApp and appears visually in the following form:

What we know about it:
This chain letter is not unknown to us; we have already published a fact check on it. In it you find out:
The Rhein-Zeitung also checked this chain letter for its veracity and, together with experts from Mainz University Medical Center, they came to a rather frightening conclusion:
The information in this chain letter is not entirely wrong, but it can also be fatal at the wrong moment: “This coughing technique does exist, but it can only help with benign cardiac arrhythmias. “It can be harmful in the event of a heart attack ,” says Dr. Felix Post, cardiologist and intensive care physician at the II Department of Medicine at the University Medical Center at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
In the eyes of the doctor, the only right thing to do is to call the emergency doctor.
Heart attack chain letter: Better not share!
Be careful with chain letters, be careful with content that has not been further verified. Even if the protective reflex kicks in again (a reflex that encourages people to share false reports in good faith), this is more likely to create a dangerous situation.
This text is a chain letter with a dangerous half-truth as its message. Even if this coughing technique really exists, if used at the wrong moment it is more harmful than helpful.
Article image heart attack: Shutterstock / By Kittisak Jirasittichai
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

