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Amazon Tribe Gives Clues to Heart-Healthy Lifestyles

Posted 2 days 12 hours ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, May 25 – Investigating indigenous Amazonian or African peoples who still follow a hunter-gatherer or forager-horticulturist lifestyle is giving new insights into how diet and lifestyle affect the heart as humans age. Two new studies found that these types of hunter-gatherer or foraging peoples have lower increases in blood pressure related to their age and are less likely to have hardening of the arteries than people with more modern lifestyles. Lifestyle factors such as high levels of physical activity and large amounts of fruits and vegetables – and low calories – in their diets may help protect these groups against those health problems, the researchers said. The studies appeared online May 21 in the journal Hypertension. One study looked at nearly 2,300 adults in 82 Tsimane villages in Bolivia's Amazon basin. Tsimane people live in the lowlands and are ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Disease, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Atherosclerosis

Study Explores Fish Oil's Healthy Effect on Heart

Posted 24 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 24 – A small new study may rule out one possible mechanism behind omega-3 fatty acids' healthy effects on the heart. It's been established that omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods such as fish oil, help prevent cardiovascular disease (conditions of the heart and blood vessels), as well as heart attacks and strokes in people who already have cardiovascular disease. The evidence is so strong that the American Heart Association recommends eating fish or taking fish oil as a preventive measure both for healthy people and cardiovascular-disease patients. The ways in which omega-3 fatty acids provide these heart-healthy benefits, however, aren't known. In the new study, researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine investigated if omega-3s might improve cardiac diastolic function – the ability of the heart to relax and refill with blood at each beat. This ability ... Read more

Less Heart Disease Among Women in Wealthier States: Study

Posted 20 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 20 – A state's level of wealth affects women's heart disease risk, a new study says. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston assessed gross domestic product, poverty rates and levels of financial inequality in each state, and then compared those factors to indicators of cardiovascular inflammation in women nationwide who took part in the U.S. Women's Health Study. Cardiovascular inflammation is a major risk factor for heart disease. The researchers found that levels of cardiovascular inflammation were lower among women in wealthy states than those in poorer states, and lower among women in states with less financial inequality than among those in states with more inequality. Even when an individual woman's diet, weight, personal income level, exercise and smoking habits were taken into account, the wealth of her home state still had a significant impact ... Read more

Following Heart-Healthy Behaviors May Lengthen Your Life

Posted 18 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

SATURDAY, March 17 – People who follow seven recommended cardiovascular health behaviors are much less likely to die than those who follow few or none of the behaviors, according to a study that included nearly 45,000 U.S. adults. However, the researchers also found that few adults follow every cardiovascular health behavior recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA), which include: not smoking; eating a healthy diet; having normal cholesterol, blood glucose and total cholesterol levels; being physically active and having normal blood pressure. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It kills more than 800,000 people a year and accounts for about one in three deaths, with estimated annual direct and overall costs of $273 billion and $444 billion, respectively, according to the researchers. They looked at 44,959 adults, aged 20 and older, ... Read more

Health Tip: Protect Yourself From Heart Disease

Posted 9 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

-- The most common type of heart disease occurs when fatty plaque deposits build up on the walls of vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the heart. The womenshealth.gov website offers these suggestions to help lower your risk: Keep cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure under control. Don't smoke. Maintain a healthy body weight. Get plenty of regular exercise. Limit alcohol consumption. Read more

Related support groups: Heart Disease, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Blood Pressure Differences Between Arms Could Signal Heart Risk

Posted 30 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, Jan. 29 – People whose systolic blood pressure – the upper number in their reading – is different in their left and right arms may be suffering from a vascular disease that could increase their risk of death, British researchers report. The arteries under the collarbone supply blood to the arms, legs and brain. Blockage can lead to stroke and other problems, the researchers noted, and measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine. "This is an important [finding] for the general public and for primary care doctors," said Dr. William O'Neill, a professor of cardiology and executive dean of clinical affairs at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "Traditionally, most people just check blood pressure in one arm, but if there is a difference, then one of the arteries has disease in it," he said. The arteries that run under the collarbone can get blocked, ... Read more

Optimal Heart Health Starts Early: Study

Posted 25 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 – People who reach midlife without developing high blood pressure, diabetes or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease are much less likely to have a heart attack or stroke by age 80 than their less healthy peers, a new study suggests. "If you make it to middle age with an optimal profile, it's really like the fountain of youth for your heart," said lead researcher Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Besides diabetes and hypertension, researchers looked at the effects of two other cardiovascular risk factors – high cholesterol and smoking – on long-term heart health. A heart-healthy profile at midlife "essentially abolished your remaining chance of developing any heart disease over your remaining lifespan," Lloyd-Jones added. These lifestyle-related factors mattered more than ... Read more

Frying With Olive, Sunflower Oil OK for Heart, Study Finds

Posted 24 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 – Researchers in Spain have some good news for people who enjoy eating fried food: Cooking in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease or premature death. Because heart disease risk factors – such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity – have been linked to eating fried foods, the study authors decided to investigate the association. For the study, the researchers examined the cooking habits and health of nearly 41,000 adults, aged 29 to 69, who did not have heart disease at the start of the 11-year study. The participants were split into four groups depending on how much fried food they consumed. The study authors pointed out that because their research was conducted in Spain, where olive and sunflower oil are used for cooking, the findings may not apply in other countries where other types of oil are more commonly used. For example, when ... Read more

Jump in Resting Heart Rate Might Signal Higher Death Risk

Posted 20 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Dec. 20 – A rise in resting heart rate during middle age signals an increased risk of dying from heart disease, new research indicates. People whose heart rates increased from under 70 beats per minute to more than 85 beats per minute over 10 years had a 90 percent increased risk of dying from heart disease compared to people whose heart rates stayed around 70 beats per minute, according to the large study. "Resting heart rate is one of the simplest measures in medicine and everyone can do that by themselves at home. From cross-sectional studies, it is known that a person's resting heart rate is related to the relative risk of premature cardiovascular disease and death. However, it has not, before now, been associated with an increased risk of premature cardiovascular death," said study senior author Ulrik Wisloff, director of the K.G. Jebsen Center of Exercise in Medicine in ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Disease, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Poor Lifestyles Harming U.S. Heart Health: Report

Posted 15 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Dec. 15 – Americans' heart health is in a woeful state, says this year's report card from the American Heart Association. And it's largely because people just aren't taking care of themselves. In the past three or so decades, women have upped their calorie consumption by 22 percent and men by 10 percent, with carbohydrates and sugar-sweetened beverages both major sources of unneeded calories. The inevitable result is that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults and about one-third of children are over the ideal body weight, the extra layers of fat putting a major strain on Americans' hearts. The trend is particularly concerning in children. Today, about 20 percent of U.S. kids are obese, compared with just 4 percent 30 years ago. Neither adults nor children are exercising enough and about 21 percent of men and 18 percent of women still smoke. About one-fifth of high school ... Read more

Fish May Cut Threat of Heart Disease in Young Women

Posted 5 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Dec. 5 – Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as cod and salmon, may significantly lower a young woman's risk of developing heart disease, Danish researchers report. The researchers found that women of childbearing age who never ate fish had 50 percent more cardiovascular problems than women who ate fish often, and a 90 percent higher risk than women who ate fish weekly. "We found that even women who ate fish only a couple of times a month benefited," said lead researcher Marin Strom, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Fetal Programming at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen. "Women who eat fish should find the results encouraging, but it is important to emphasize that to obtain the greatest benefit from fish and fish oils, women should follow the dietary recommendations to eat fish as a main meal at least twice a week," she said. However, the report, ... Read more

Even Without Weight Loss, Mediterranean Diet Helps Heart: Study

Posted 16 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 – A new study offers further evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet is good for your heart. The research found that unsaturated fats from foods such as avocados, olive oil and nuts increase the body's ability to use insulin. Reduced insulin action can lead to diabetes, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Researchers examined how three different types of balanced diets consumed by 164 people with mild hypertension but no diabetes affected the body's ability to maintain healthy insulin levels and regulate blood sugar levels. The three diets were rich in either carbohydrates, protein or unsaturated fats such as those found in olive oil. The participants ate each of the three diets for six weeks in a row, with two to four weeks off in between each diet. Blood samples were used to monitor insulin and glucose levels. The diet rich in unsaturated fats improved ... Read more

Healthy Heart Habits May Also Guard Against Cancer

Posted 16 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 – People who are diligent about keeping their heart healthy have a good chance of staving off cancer as well, researchers report. Individuals who don't smoke and who maintain a healthy body-mass index (BMI), normal blood pressure and two to four other "ideal" measures of heart health have a 38 percent lower risk of developing cancer, according to research scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla. The study authors hope the score they've developed will help doctors drive home the message that prevention is key to both cancer and heart disease. "Physicians need motivation to really push the issue of prevention with patients," said lead author Laura J. Rasmussen-Torvik, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Other experts agreed. ... Read more

Study Finds Link Between Low IQ, Large Waistline

Posted 15 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 – Guys with low IQs may be at higher risk than brainiacs for later weight gain and added heart disease risk, a new study suggests. Swedish men who had the lowest IQs at about age 18 had higher waist-to-hip ratios at age 40 than their peers who scored higher on those IQ tests. It's known that people with "apple-shaped" bodies, or more weight around the middle, are at higher risk for heart disease than those with "pear-shaped" bodies. Exactly how or even if IQ during late adolescence affects waist size is not clearly understood, and U.S cardiologists caution that it is too early to draw any meaningful conclusions from the new data. The findings are scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Study author Dr. Jerzy Leppert, a professor at the Center for Clinical Research of Uppsala University in Sweden, said the ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Heart Disease, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

No Benefit From Niacin for Heart Patients in Study

Posted 15 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 – Patients with cardiovascular disease who add niacin to the statin drug Zocor (simvastatin) to help lower their cholesterol get no additional clinical benefit, a new study finds. Even though niacin appeared to increase HDL cholesterol – the good cholesterol – and decrease triglycerides, another type of fat in the blood, it did not reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or death, the researchers found. "The data we had previously on niacin was not very strong and mostly came from one very old study," said Dr. Robert Giugliano, from the cardiovascular medicine division at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, who was not involved with the study. The report was published online Nov. 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the presentation of the findings at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Fla. ... Read more

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