Tag Archives: American Heart Association

The Benefits of Eating Fish

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Concerns about mercury contamination should not dissuade Americans from eating seafood, the American Heart Association has announced. Recent research has found that large fish such as ahi tuna and swordfish contain high levels of the metal, which is toxic to the brain and nervous system. (Mercury enters the atmosphere through coal burning and other industrial activity, eventually making its way into lakes and oceans.) But studies have also found that seafood helps prevent heart disease, reports MedicalDaily.com. After reviewing all the available data, the AHA concluded that the significant cardiovascular benefits of eating fish outweigh the neurological risks. In an updated scientific advisory, the organization advises adults to consume two 3.5-ounce servings of nonfried fish every week, and specifically recommends salmon, trout, sardines, and other oily fish that are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. “The benefits of fish,” says Harvard epidemiologist Eric Rimm, who chairs the group that wrote the (Read More)

Healthy Heart, Sharp Mind

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Americans are constantly advised to lead “heart healthy” lives, and for good reason: Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. But cardiovascular health is also a boon to the brain, new research reveals. The study examined the habits and lifestyles of more than 1,000 people who were an average age of 72. Specifically, they assessed how many of the American Heart Association’s goals the participants achieved—keeping physically active; main tain ing a healthy weight and eating regimen; not smoking; and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels under control. The participants also completed cognitive tests when the study began and again six years later. As it turned out, people who more closely adhered to a heart-healthy lifestyle showed fewer signs of age-related mental decline, reports TechTimes.com. University of Miami neurologist Hannah Gardener, who led the study, suggests more research is needed to pinpoint the age ranges (Read More)

Is good health contagious? A new study says yes.

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There’s no magic solution for weight loss and improved health. But data collected by researchers in Kentucky shows friends and family members may lose weight more effectively by working as a team. That finding comes from a new study reported by the American Heart Association. The study’s results indicate that strong social networks, such as those among friends and relatives, help people lose weight and improve their overall health. Are healthy habits contagious? The study, undertaken by researchers in Kentucky, answers that question in the affirmative. The data showed that dieters who lost weight collectively with friends and family lost more weight and were likelier to achieve permanent results. Study organizers, working with a pool of 552 participants, assigned friends and family members into social groups of between two and eight people. The groups worked together to improve their health. Over the course of ten months, participants within social groups lost an (Read More)

Part 2: 5 Surprising Signs of an Unhealthy Heart

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Continued from Part 1: 5 Surprising Signs of an Unhealthy Heart Dizziness, Faintness, or Shortness of Breath More than 40 percent of women in one study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, reported having experienced shortness of breath in the days before a heart attack. You might feel like you can’t breathe, or you might feel dizzy or faint, as you would at high altitude. If you can’t catch your breath while walking upstairs, vacuuming, weeding the garden, or doing other activities that previously caused you no trouble, this is a reason to be on the alert. Why it happens: Not enough blood is getting through the arteries to carry sufficient oxygen to the heart. The heart muscle pain of angina may also make it hurt to draw a deep breath. Coronary artery disease (CAD), in which plaque builds up and blocks the arteries that feed the (Read More)

5 Heart Healthy Habits

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Many of the hardest things to do in life are based on good old-fashioned common sense.  So why are they so hard to accomplish? Let’s face it – in our minds we often think that change is not rational.  Our reasoning is that when we change something in our lives, that often means that we will also lose something – habits that gives us great pleasure. That is why people burn out so easily on their New Year resolutions.  As you read through these common sense behaviors that are critical to a healthy heart, remember that failure is an event – not a person.  Be willing to take risks to get out of you comfort zone. Be willing to start, create “baby steps” for change that are based in your behavior, not just your attitude.  It truly is better to act your way into a new way of thinking, rather (Read More)