Test accurately measures heart attack risk

A study found that a blood test plus an electrocardiogram are 99 percent accurate at showing who is at risk of a heart attack and who can safely be sent home.

A simple test appears very good at ruling out heart attacks in people who go to emergency rooms with chest pain, a big public health issue and a huge worry for patients.

A large study in Sweden found that the blood test plus the usual electrocardiogram of the heartbeat were 99% accurate at showing which patients could safely be sent home rather than be admitted for observation and more diagnostics.

Of nearly 9 000 patients judged low risk by the blood test and with normal electrocardiograms, only 15 went on to suffer a heart attack in the next month, and not a single one died.

Admissions may be avoided

"We believe that with this strategy, 20 to 25% of admissions to hospitals for chest pain may be avoided," said Dr Nadia Bandstein of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.

She helped lead the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and presented at the cardiology college's annual conference in Washington.

Chest pain sends more than 15 million people to emergency rooms in the United States and Europe each year, and it usually turns out to be due to anxiety, indigestion or other less-serious things than a heart attack. Yet doctors don't want to miss one – about 2% of patients having heart attacks are mistakenly sent home.

People may feel reassured by being admitted to a hospital so doctors can keep an eye on them, but that raises the risk of picking up an infection and having expensive care they'll have to pay a share of, plus unnecessary tests.

The study included nearly 15 000 people who went to the Karolinska University hospital with chest pains over two years. About 8 900 had low scores on a faster, more sensitive blood test for troponin, a substance that's a sign of heart damage. The test has been available in Europe, Asia and Canada for about three years, but it is not yet available in the United States.

A huge waste of resources

The patients were 47 years old on average and 4% had a previous heart attack. About 21% of them wound up being admitted.

Researchers later looked back to see how the blood test and electrocardiogram would have predicted how they fared over the next month.

They figured that in order to find one heart attack in patients like this, 594 would have to be admitted – a huge waste of resources.

A test like this would be "enormously useful", and the study's results are "almost too good to be true", said Dr Judd Hollander, an emergency medicine specialist at the University of Pennsylvania.

He believes the test should be available in the US and that the amount of evidence that regulators are requiring to approve it is too high.

Unnecessary tests

Dr Allan Jaffe, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, said the problem is not what the test rules out, but what it might falsely rule in. It's so sensitive that it can pick up troponin from heart failure and other problems and cause unnecessary tests for that.

"I think the strategy long-term will be proven," but more studies underway now in the US are needed to show that, he said.

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Energy drinks increase heart strain

Healthy adults who consumed energy drinks high in caffeine and taurine had significantly increased heart contraction rates one hour later.

Healthy adults who consumed energy drinks high in caffeine and taurine had significantly increased heart contraction rates one hour later, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

"Until now, we haven't known exactly what effect these energy drinks have on the function of the heart," said radiology resident Jonas D?rner, MD, of the cardiovascular imaging section at the University of Bonn, Germany, which is led by the study's principal investigator, Daniel K. Thomas, MD. "There are concerns about the products' potential adverse side effects on heart function, especially in adolescents and young adults, but there is little or no regulation of energy drink sales."

Energy drinks represent a multibillion dollar industry that is growing every day. While teenagers and young adults have traditionally been the largest consumers, in recent years more people of all demographics have begun consuming energy drinks.

More emergency department visits

A 2013 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated that in the US from 2007 to 2011, the number of emergency department visits related to energy drink consumption nearly doubled, increasing from 10 068 to 20 783. Most of the cases were identified among patients aged 18 to 25, followed by those aged 26 to 39.

"Usually energy drinks contain taurine and caffeine as their main pharmacological ingredients," Dr D?rner said. "The amount of caffeine is up to three times higher than in other caffeinated beverages like coffee or cola. There are many side effects known to be associated with a high intake of caffeine, including rapid heart rate, palpitations, rise in blood pressure and, in the most severe cases, seizures or sudden death."

For the study, which is ongoing, Dr D?rner and colleagues used cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the effect of energy drink consumption on heart function in 18 healthy volunteers, including 15 men and three women with a mean age of 27.5 years. Each of the volunteers underwent cardiac MRI before and one hour after consuming an energy drink containing taurine (400 mg/100 ml) and caffeine (32 mg/100 ml).

Compared to the baseline images, results of cardiac MRI performed one hour after the study participants consumed the energy drink revealed significantly increased peak strain and peak systolic strain rates (measurements for contractility) in the left ventricle of the heart. The heart's left ventricle receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the aorta, which distributes it throughout the rest of the body.

Additional studies required

"We don't know exactly how or if this greater contractility of the heart impacts daily activities or athletic performance," Dr D?rner said. "We need additional studies to understand this mechanism and to determine how long the effect of the energy drink lasts."

The researchers found no significant differences in heart rate, blood pressure or the amount of blood ejected from the left ventricle of the heart between the volunteers' baseline and second MRI exams.

"We've shown that energy drink consumption has a short-term impact on cardiac contractility," Dr D?rner said. "Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of long-term energy drink consumption and the effect of such drinks on individuals with heart disease."

Dr D?rner said that while long-term risks to the heart from drinking energy drinks remain unknown, he advises that children, as well as people with known cardiac arrhythmias, should avoid energy drinks, because changes in contractility could trigger arrhythmias. He also cautions that additional study is needed to address risks posed by the consumption of energy drinks in combination with alcohol.

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Obese people do have more heart attacks

An analysis supports the idea that obese people who are otherwise healthy are still at risk of heart problems down the road.

A new analysis supports the idea that obese people who are otherwise healthy are still at risk of heart problems down the road.

Contrary to previous results

Researchers who reviewed past studies found that even heavy people who didn't have high blood pressure or diabetes, for instance, had more heart attacks and strokes over time than healthy normal-weight people. That runs contrary to the results of some recent shorter-term reports, which suggested people could be obese but heart-healthy.

"It made perfect sense to say there might be a group that have extra body fat but aren't necessarily at risk," James O. Hill said. "I think what this study says is, they are. It's just that the risk may be lower (than among obese people who also have other problems) and it might take a little longer to see it."

Studies over 10 years or more

Hill, executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado in Aurora, co-wrote a commentary published with the new analysis. Canadian researchers pooled the results of eight studies that followed normal-weight, overweight and obese people over time. Some of those participants were metabolically healthy. Others had a mix of heart-related risk factors like a large waist circumference, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low "good" cholesterol and diabetes.

The studies included just over 61,000 people. Over a period of three to 30 years, depending on the study, about 4,000 of them died or developed heart problems. At first, obese people without metabolic problems didn't seem to be any more at-risk than slimmer participants who were also metabolically healthy. Then, however, the researchers looked only at studies that followed people for 10 years or more. They found that over time, heavy but healthy people in those studies were 24 percent more likely to die, have a heart attack or stroke or develop heart failure.

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Mild heart disease may pose equal risks for men and women

Doctors say the rate of heart attacks and death among men and women with heart disease is similar and some have the same chance of avoiding severe consequences.

Men and women with mild heart disease share the same risks, at least over the short term, a new study suggests.

Doctors have thought that women with mild heart disease do worse than men. This study, however, suggests that the rate of heart attacks and death among men and women with heart disease is similar.

Meanwhile, both men and women who don't have build-up of plaque in their coronary arteries have the same good chance of avoiding severe heart-related consequences, said lead researcher Dr Jonathon Leipsic.

Diagnose plaque

"If you have a normal CT scan, you are not likely to have a heart attack or die in the next 2.3 years - whether you're a man or a woman," said Leipsic, director of medical imaging at St  Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"That's an important new finding."

Leipsic said the ability to use a CT scan to diagnose plaque in the coronary arteries enabled researchers to determine that the outcomes are the same for men and women, regardless of what other tests show or what other risk factors patients have.

The results of the study were discussed at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.

More on Coronary artery disease

When the coronary arteries - the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart  - start building fatty deposits called plaque, coronary artery disease occurs. Over time, plaque may damage or narrow the arteries, increasing the chances of a heart attack.

Dr Gregg Fonarow, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, said coronary artery disease is associated with both fatal and nonfatal heart episodes, even when a person's arteries aren't narrowed. Fonarow was not involved with the new research.

What did the new find?

The new study found similar increased risk for major adverse cardiac events in men and women, even after risk adjustment, said Fonarow, who is also a professor of cardiology at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in both women and men.

"Irrespective of sex, controlling the seven major heart health risk factors - smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, inactivity and poor diet - can substantially reduce the risk of the development and progression of coronary artery disease," Fonarow said.

What do the findings suggest?

These new study findings also suggest that effective medical therapy, along with lifestyle modification, should be started in both men and women who have mild heart disease, he said.

For the study, Leipsic and his colleagues used data from a large international study registry. That registry included nearly 28 000 people from six countries who had images taken of their hearts.

The researchers identified more than 18 000 people without known heart disease whose scans were normal or showed mild disease, in which arteries were less than 50% blocked.

These patients, including about 8 800 women and 9 300 men, were then matched with more than 11 000 similar patients.

Risk factors

Based on scan findings and standard risk factors for heart attack and death, the researchers calculated that men and women with mild heart disease had the same risk for death or heart attack.

In addition, men and women who didn't have any heart disease had the same odds for good outcomes, Leipsic said.

Over more than two years of follow-up, only about 250 of the 18 000 patients had a heart attack or cardiac-related death, the researchers said.

Because the new study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Healthy Numbers For A Healthy Heart Infographic

Blood pressure ranges are normally shown using the systolic number before or over the diastolic pressure in millimeters of mercury.

Then the systolic pressure is when the heart is pumping blood out of the ventricle to the veins.

The diastolic pressure is between heartbeats when the pressure goes down before the following heart pumping motion.

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Heart Health Tips

The first and foremost among heart health tips is that better lifestyle habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. You are what you eat. Better food habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. A healthy eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way.

Follow the Ten easy heart health tips to a healthier heart. You can reduce the chances of a heart attack by 90 percent.

To begin with, walk 30 minutes a day everyday, no matter what. Find a person who's supportive and will not nag and will call you if you haven't called him/her. It is crucial to call someone everyday. That's the real commitment.

The next in the line of heart health tips is to know your blood pressure and do whatever it takes to get it down to 115/75.You can have the blood pressure down to 115/75 with just weight loss, walking and decreasing sugar and saturated fat in your diet.

Include 30 grams of nuts a day in your diet. Nuts raise HDL good cholesterol and decrease inflammation. But they have a heart benefit independent of those too. Nuts have healthy omega-3 fatty acids, healthy protein and some fiber. And this is one of the heart health tips is easy to do. Nuts that are raw, fresh and unsalted have the most benefit.

The fourth of the heart health tips is to learn your HDL (Good Cholesterol) number and do what you can to raise it to 50.For women; some believe a high HDL is more important than a lower LDL (Bad Cholesterol). The easy ways to increase it: exercise; have one drink a day; eat healthy fats such as safflower oil and nuts.

Eat 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce a week. This is one of my favorite heart health tips. Tomato sauce is loaded with blood pressure slashing potassium.

Floss the teeth regularly to avoid periodontal disease. It prevents inflammation in the arteries, which helps us head off heart disease. Many of us are unaware that our oral health affects all our arterial health, and that includes blood flow to the heart and sexual organs, and may be even wrinkles on our skin.

Eat no more than 20 grams of saturated fat a day and as little trans fat as possible to avoid inflammation in the arteries.

Don't be fooled by foods that are low in fat but high in sugar. Read labels and throw out all food that has sugar as an important ingredient. The sugar causes inflammation and if you use more sugar than you need, it gets morphed into omentum fat, that dangerous fat around the belly.

One of the welcome heart health tips is to have a glass of wine or beer. It is a consistent finding that teetotalers have a higher risk of heart disease than people who drink a little, and people who drink a lot have little heart disease but tend to die of cancer. Though there are serious dangers to drinking, any kind of alcohol in moderation is good for arteries.

Finally, eat several servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day. Include a lot of fiber, and do not increase to that amount all at once. Make sure the produce is fresh and wash it carefully and thoroughly.

Even if the first seven of the tips is followed (Make sure you don't smoke), you will reduce the chance of a heart attack by 90 percent compared to a typical person your age.

Hope you will make the most and benefit from the above said heart health tips to live a long,hearty and healthy life.

The Author, Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to health and fitness. For more information log on to http://www.casanads.com/bm/hf.htm

Canola reduces heart disease

There's scientific evidence that canola oil can reduce the risk of heart disease.

The United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a certified health claim on canola oil's potential to cut back the danger of heart condition, attributable to its unsaturated fat content.

Canola joins a category of biological process ingredients and oils like phytosterols, omega-3 fatty acid and vegetable oil that change finished product makers to advertise their purposeful advantages on the label. Such health claims from the federal agency square measure desirable within the nutraceutical business for his or her potential to tell the general public and boost sales.

The United States of America oil Association (USCA), that submitted its petition for such a health claim in January 2006, is victimization the event as a chance to market the advantages of oil as associate ingredient. 

The claim could... encourage food makers and food-service suppliers to substitute oil for alternative oils with less favourable biological process profiles," aforesaid USCA president John Haas, who additionally expects that convenience of the claim can promote public health by informing shoppers a few straightforward, cheap and convenient strategy to cut back their risk of heart condition. 

Canola oil is alleged to be high in healthy unsaturated fats (93 percent), freed from cholesterin and trans fat, and has the bottom saturated fat (7 percent) of any common edible oil. 

Thus the purposeful characteristics of canola lie not most in any nutrient content, however rather within the indisputable fact that it's low in beta-lipoprotein (low-density lipoprotein), or "bad" cholesterin.

What the labels could say

Canola oil bottlers and manufacturers of eligible product are allowable to state the subsequent on labels: 

“Limited and not conclusive scientific proof suggests that consumption regarding one 1/2 tablespoons (19g) of oil daily could scale back the danger of coronary heart condition as a result of the unsaturated fat content in oil. to attain this doable profit, oil is to exchange an identical quantity of saturated fat and not increase the full variety of calories you dine in each day. One serving of this product contains [x] grams of oil.”

The claim was planned by associate business association instead of an organization, as is commonly the case. Since health claims tend to allow a complete class a lift, instead of simply the corporate that has funded the science and ready the written record, some corporations have questioned the logic of finance in claims once their competitors profit too.

In olive oil's footsteps

Canola oil follows vegetable oil, that additionally has associate federal agency heart-health claim. providing each were granted the claims for his or her low levels of unsaturated fats, associate avenue could open up for teams representing alternative oils that have comparatively low unsaturated fat contents to petition the federal authority.

According to the Canola Council of North American nation, Carthamus tinctorius oil contains seventy seven p.c monounsaturated fat, compared to olive oil's seventy five p.c and canola's sixty one p.c. However, per a similar information, oil contains the smallest quantity amount of saturated fat of all fashionable edible oils – with seven p.c. Olive and safflower oils contain fifteen and eight p.c severally.

"There is ample scientific proof to demonstrate these advantages from the unsaturated fats in oil," aforesaid Haas. "By victimization it in situ of alternative common edible oils, shoppers will increase their compliance with the newest dietary recommendations."

Weight loss can combat irregular heart beat

Overweight or obese people can cut their risk of trouble with a potentially fatal irregular heart beat if they lose a lot of weight, a new study has found.

Losing a bit more than 30 pounds, on average, caused people to have fewer and less severe bouts of heart palpitations related to atrial fibrillation.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Dallas, and published simultaneously in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Disorganised signals

Atrial fibrillation is a disorder of the electrical impulses that coordinate the beating of the heart. Rapid and disorganised electrical signals cause the heart's two upper chambers – the atria – to contract in a fast and irregular way. The condition can increase a person's risk of stroke and contribute to heart problems.

The new study found that people on a strict weight-management plan experienced a five-fold decrease in the severity of their atrial fibrillation symptoms, compared with those who only received nutrition and fitness advice.

The dieters also had a 4.5-times better overall decrease in symptoms and a two-and-a-half-times greater decline in episodes of atrial fibrillation, the study authors said. Symptoms can include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, fainting and chest pain.

"Weight loss will help most people who are overweight" with their atrial fibrillation, said study co-author Dr. Prashanthan Sanders, director of the Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders at the University of Adelaide in Australia. "Extra weight, through so many ways, has a significant impact on the atria [upper chambers of the heart]."

Increased inflammation

For example, obesity increases inflammation and can contribute to the thickening of the heart's wall, the study authors said.

The study authors called atrial fibrillation "the epidemic of the new millennium", projecting that by 2050 between 12 million and 15 million Americans will be affected by the heart disorder. The reason: the growing obesity epidemic.

The 19-month study involved 150 people with a body-mass index (BMI) greater than 27. In general, a person with a BMI – a ratio of weight to height – greater than 25 is considered overweight. Someone with a BMI greater than 30 is considered obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity is thought to be a major contributor to atrial fibrillation, Sanders said. "Several epidemiological studies have suggested this," he said. "There are several reasons why – sleep apnoea, hypertension [high blood pressure] and metabolic syndrome."

According to background information provided in the study, people experience a 4 percent to 5 percent increased risk of atrial fibrillation every time their BMI increases by 1 point.

Weight-management plan

For the new study, half of the participants underwent a weight-management plan that for the first eight weeks required a very low-calorie diet of between 800 and 1,200 calories per day. They received a weight-loss shake for two of their daily meals, and a third meal with high levels of proteins.

These people also had to follow a written exercise plan that prescribed low-intensity exercise like walking or cycling three times a week, starting at 20 minutes per session and gradually increasing to up to 45 minutes.

The other study participants were just provided advice on nutrition and exercise.

The people in the weight management plan ended up losing 33 pounds on average, compared with an average 12.5 pounds lost by the advice group. Along with the weight, both groups also shed symptoms of atrial fibrillation. But the weight-management group experienced significantly greater reductions in problems with atrial fibrillation.

American Heart Association Past President Dr. Gordon Tomaselli said it makes sense that losing weight would help people who are experiencing an irregular heartbeat.

"Anything that increases cardiac demand can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation," he said.

Tomaselli, chief of cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, added that a person doesn't have to go to the extremes undertaken by the weight-management group to get some benefit.

"Time and time again, any weight loss has been shown to help people," he said. "Exercise is good for you. If you exercise more tomorrow than you did today, you're doing the right thing."

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Prevention of Heart Attacks

Strict changes in diet and lifestyle can not only prevent heart attacks, but can reverse the clogging of the arteries, according to a small but pioneering study.

The study showed that a vegetarian diet, moderate exercise and an hour a day of yoga and meditation could produce a reversal of atherosclerosis, a blockage of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack, in men and women who were strict in following the daily regimen.

Experts say this is the first study to report that such blockage can be reversed without using cholesterol-lowering drugs or surgery.

The study, which was conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish, director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., was presented at the meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.

This is a tremendously important study in the control of heart disease. It's the very first study indicating regression of coronary heart disease without pharmaceutical intervention. The results also suggest that the current medical guidelines for changes in the habits of people with severe heart disease do not go far enough.

Previous studies have shown that exercise and diet changes can slow the progression of heart disease, but not reverse it.

While the study did not determine what percentage of improvement could be attributed to the lifestyle changes alone, the researchers noted that stress-control methods have been shown to ease recovery from a variety of disorders, including hypertension.

But some experts are skeptical of the need for stress-management methods, which are not currently among standard recommendations for those with severe heart disease.

Some experts on cardiac rehabilitation question whether most people with heart disease could follow such strict changes in their habits.

Gardening, Housework May Help Boost Your Heart Health

Study of Swedish seniors found a reduced death risk of up to 30 percent

 

Activities such as gardening, do-it-yourself projects and housework may be as good as formal exercise when it comes to reducing the risk for heart attack and stroke, Swedish researchers say.

For people 60 and older, just keeping busy with daily activities can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems by nearly 30 percent and even prolong life, they added.

Being on your feet and active cuts the time spent sitting around, pointed out lead researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences and the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm.

"Sitting is mainly replacing time you spend in daily activity and vice versa," Ekblom-Bak said. A recent study found long periods of sitting actually increased the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death, she noted.

"The results of this study showed that activities of daily life are as important as regular intentional exercise for older adults for cardiovascular health and longevity," she said.

But that doesn't mean formal exercise isn't important. "We saw that those who exercised regularly and that also had a daily physically active life had the lowest risk of all," Ekblom-Bak explained.

The time people spend exercising, however, is only a small part of the day, which leaves a lot of time for daily activities or sitting, she added.

For the new study, researchers collected data on more than 3,800 men and women in Sweden who were born in 1937 and 1938. Participants were asked about their lifestyle, which included information on their diet, whether they smoked or drank alcohol, and how physically active they were.

The participants were also asked how often they took part in activities, such as gardening, do-it-yourself projects, car maintenance and blackberry picking over the past year. They were also asked about any exercise they did.

To see how heart-healthy they were, the researchers examined the participants and took blood samples to assess levels of fat and sugar. They also checked for high levels of blood-clotting factor, which is linked to a raised heart attack and stroke risk.

During more than 12 years of follow-up, 476 of the participants died from or experienced a first heart attack or stroke, and 383 died from other various causes.

People whose daily activities kept them moving reduced their risk of a heart attack or stroke by 27 percent and the risk of dying from any cause by 30 percent, compared to people who spent the least amount of time on their feet.

"Promoting daily life activities is as important as recommending regular exercise for older adults for cardiovascular health and longevity," Ekblom-Bak said.

"This is particularly important for older adults as they tend to spend a greater portion of their active day performing non-exercise physical activity, as they often find it difficult to achieve recommended exercise intensity levels," she said.

The report was published online Oct. 28 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Traditional notions of retirement often don't support continued physical activity at this stage of life, a U.S. expert said.

"It is almost expected that as we age, we move less," said Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist and exercise physiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

"Retirement, a patient told me, is for sitting around, resting and watching TV," she said. "Unfortunately, sedentary lifestyles now range across all ages with the same unhealthy results: increased risk for diseases such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and certain cancers."

The human body is designed to be moving a good portion of the day, Heller said. "The less one physically moves, the less they are able to move," she said.

Regular physical activities such as house cleaning, gardening, lawn care and climbing stairs help keep the body mobile and strong, Heller said.

Continue reading below...

"You can burn up to six times as much energy per minute when house cleaning as you do when you are sitting still. People of all ages need to be encouraged to get up off the couch and turn off the computer and TV and move," she said.

Heller said there are simple ways to add more physical activity into the day, such as the following:

• Standing up when talking on the phone.


• Marching in place when watching TV -- at least during the commercials.


• Getting up from your desk every hour and doing jumping jacks, knee lifts or knee bends for three to five minutes.


• Climbing a flight of stairs every few hours.


• Vacuuming the house.


• Mopping the floor.

Another expert described the physical fallout of being sedentary.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said sitting for too long may have adverse effects including burning fewer calories, and increasing insulin resistance and fats in the blood.

"Greater time spent in non-exercise physical activities can potentially counter these effects," Fonarow said. "These findings further emphasize the importance of decreasing sedentary time and encouraging everyday regular non-exercise physical activity to improve cardiovascular health."

Although the study found an association between being active around the house and reduced heart risk, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

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Hiking Benefits Heart, Mind, and Body

Hiking outdoors comes with a bounty of perks: nice views, fresh air, and the sounds and smells of nature. Hiking is a powerful cardio workout that boasts all the health benefits of walking, including less risk of heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer, as well as better blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Because hiking is a weight-bearing exercise -- you’re moving against gravity while staying upright -- it boosts bone density and helps combat osteoporosis (thinning bones).

Hiking is also good for muscle strength. The activity targets your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower leg muscles. It works your shoulders, strengthens your core, and improves balance. And hiking can help you control your weight.

It's also a powerful mood booster. "Research shows that hiking has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety," says Gregory A. Miller, PhD, president of the American Hiking Society. "Being in nature is ingrained in our DNA, and we sometimes forget that."

Safe Hiking Tips

Start slow. A short, local hike is best for beginners. Gradually work up to trails with hills or uneven terrain.

Bring a buddy. It’s best not to hike alone at first, especially on unfamiliar or remote trails. A partner or group can help you navigate and assist if you get hurt. As your skill level improves, you’ll feel more comfortable going solo.

Know before you go. Familiarize yourself with the trail map. Check the weather and dress and pack accordingly. If storms are a possibility, rethink your plan.

Use common sense. Follow marked paths and trails. Avoid contact with questionable plants and animals.

Get into a groove. On the days you can’t make it to the trails, power-walk on a hilly terrain while carrying various degrees of weight in a backpack -- it will keep your hiking skills and fitness level on track.

Step Up Your Hiking Workout

You can get more out of your hiking with these fitness-boosting strategies.

Use poles. Digging into the ground and propelling yourself forward pushes your upper body muscles to work harder and gives you a stronger cardio workout.

Head for the hills. Even a small hill will intensify your heart rate and burn extra calories. The American Hiking Society’s Miller says a 5% to 10% incline equals a 30% to 40% increase in calorie burn.

Bump it up. Uneven terrain can work muscles while improving balance and stability.

Weigh yourself down. Stock your daypack with extra weight. (Water’s a good option.) According to Miller, a 10- to 15-pound daypack will boost your calorie burn by 10% to 15% while strengthening your lower back muscles.

View the original article here

Eating For A Healthy Heart

Bad cholesterol or a bad diet is something we all

experience at some point in time. It's impossible

to eat healthy our whole lives, even though we may

try hard to do it. Eating healthy for your heart

is something everyone should try to do, especially

when it comes to restoring health and reducing

heart attacks.

Your heart and food

We know these things for sure - a diet high in

saturated fats will help raise your cholesterol,

which is a risk factor for heart disease. People

that are obese are more prone to heart disease. A

diet high in sodium may elevate your blood pressure,

leading to inflammation and even heart disease.

To help prevent heart disease and improve your health,

put the tips below to good use.

Eat plenty of fish

Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources

of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Other fish are great

to, although Omega 3 may help to get your cholesterol

down to a healthier level.

Choosing healthy fats and oils

Saturated fat will increase the risk of heart disease.

It's found in meat, butter, and even coconut oil. You

should avoid them until your cholesterol levels are

down and you are at a healthy weight. Even those

that love red meats can enjoy seafood and nuts for

their main sources of protein.

Monounsaturated fats such as olive oils will help

you to protect your heart. Olive oil is an ideal

choice for cooking, dressing, or even as a dipping

sauce.

Plenty of fiber

Fiber can help you control your cholesterol. You

can find fiber in whole grain products to help

control sugar absorption as well, which will help

you keep your digestive system healthy.

Choosing carbohydrates

Eating for your heart involves staying away from

sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, and

pastries. Eating a lot of sugar isn't good for

your heart disease at all. Healthy carbohydrates

involve whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown

rice, and a lot of vegetables. You should make

fruits and vegetables the main aspect of your diet.

Healthy cooking methods

Stir frying and sauteing with olive oil or canola

oil are both great methods, as you shouldn't dip

your food in batter and fry it anymore. If you

cook chicken, remove the skin and bake it in the

oven in foil.

Instead of frying your fish you should always bake

it. Steaming your vegetables can help maintain the

most nutrients. You should use cream sauces or lots

of butter anymore either. When you eat vegetables,

try squeezing lemon juice on them or using your

favorite seasonings.

As you make the proper changes to your diet, keep in

mind that it takes time for them to become habits.

Eating healthy is always great for your body and your

lifestyle, especially when it comes to your heart and

the prevention of heart disease.

Can Marathons Temporarily Hurt the Heart?

Small study found cardiac changes, but they were reversible and less likely with proper training

The thousands of runners who will take part in the New York City Marathon on Sunday most likely believe they are strengthening their cardiovascular system by participating. But new research suggests the strain of a 26.2 mile-run can temporarily damage heart muscle.

That's what Dr. Eric Larose, from the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute at Laval University, found after studying 20 marathon runners, aged 18 to 60, who had each run an average of eight marathons. Larose evaluated the athletes before and right after the Quebec City Marathon, and again three months later.

It turns out strenuous exercise can harm heart tissue, causing inflammation and other problems, particularly among runners who had lower fitness levels and less training, Larose reports in the October issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

However, he is quick to stress that "there is no permanent damage." Even so, he said, ''there is a cost to running a marathon, there is a cost to everybody."

At the peak of their training, the men and women in Larose's study put in about eight hours of running and logged about 38 miles a week, on average. Larose used MRIs, blood tests and other measures to assess heart function among the runners.

After the race, half of the runners showed a decline in left and right ventricular function -- defined as the operation of the pumping chambers of the heart that take blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.

When a big area of the heart was affected, there was also swelling and reduced blood flow.

The heart changes were more common in those runners who had lower fitness levels and less training. But the damage was temporary. For instance, the 10 runners with left ventricular decline had MRI scans three months later, and all had returned to their pre-race function.

"Age was not a predictor" of cardiac problems, Larose said. Training was. The less the runners trained, the more changes in the heart.

"When you don't train as you should, you are going to get these changes," he said.

Coaches recommend slowly increasing mileage by increments during training to acclimate yourself to longer distances. Training programs are widely available online for novices and veteran runners.

Two experts who reviewed the research had opposite reactions to the finding.

"This study helps to further elucidate the potential cardiac dangers caused by excessive endurance exercise," said Dr. James O'Keefe, a sports cardiologist at the Mid-America Heart Institute, in Kansas City, Mo.

He supported the idea of vigorous exercise but disagreed that more is better. "Shoot for about 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous exercise, or 150 minutes accumulated over each week," he said.

O'Keefe advises those who want to run a marathon ''train up for it adequately and then do it. But then cross it off your bucket list, and settle into a regular routine of moderate exercise."

For the highly competitive, he suggests running 5Ks, 10Ks or an occasional half-marathon.

"I feel like that is about the upper range of what is not damaging to the heart," O'Keefe said of the 13.1-mile distance. "Even so, I wouldn't recommend half marathons on a regular basis, especially over age 45." He advised keeping half marathons to one or two a year, at most.

Another expert took a different view.

"I don't think it is reason for concern," said Dr. James Eichelberger, an associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, in New York. Training, he agreed, is crucial to minimize cardiac problems.

"All these findings [in the study] were mild and transient," Eichelberger said. "There is little risk. If you want to avoid that, exercising less vigorously for a less amount of time makes some sense."

Heart Disease

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Developing Your Heart’s Intuition: 3 Quick Tips

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Heart Disease

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