A new study found that being exposed to high amounts of secondhand tobacco smoke may increase your chance of having coronary artery calcification by as much as 90%. Even low levels of secondhand smoke increased the risk of early signs of heart disease by 50% compared to those who had little or no exposure to secondhand smoke.

Compared to other established risk factors for artery calcification including high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes, the study indicates that secondhand smoke exposure is an equivalent or stronger risk. Moreover, passive exposure to smoke seems to independently predict both the likelihood and extent of calcification.

“This research provides additional evidence that secondhand smoke is harmful and may be even more dangerous than we previously thought," study author Dr. Harvey Hecht, associate director of cardiac imaging and professor of medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Study Details

Among 3,098 study participants aged 40-80 that never smoked, researchers found that the greater the exposure to secondhand smoke, the higher the odds of calcium build up in coronary arteries:

• low exposure increased odds by 50%,
• moderate amounts of smoke upped odds to 60%
• high levels of secondhand smoke increased odds to 90%

The results also indicated that the association between secondhand smoke and coronary artery calcification existed whether the exposure occurred during childhood or adulthood.

Implications

The researchers say this study provides more evidence for the need for public smoking bans and other measures to protect people from secondhand smoke.

It should also prompt doctors to ask patients about past or present exposure to secondhand smoke as part of routine health exams, they said.

Sources:

American College of Cardiology

Over the years, researchers have chronicled many unhealthy trends in the American diet—like not eating enough fruits and vegetables or consuming too much saturated fat and processed foods. Recently many medical experts are focusing their attention on another danger to our health—refined sugar.

So, how did refined sugar go from being just “excess calories” for the weight conscious to a health hazard?

There is compelling medical evidence that refined sugar contributes to cancer, heart disease, metabolic disorders like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and a host of other health problems.

These findings have spawned a media blitz of books and television programs in which some medical experts are calling sugar “poison” and urging changes in public policy to regulate sugar much like alcohol and tobacco.

Natural vs. Added Sugar

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate found naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables and grains. If the only sugar we consumed were in natural, whole foods, there wouldn’t be a problem. But the average American diet is full of refined, nutrient-depleted foods that contain high amounts of added sugar.

As we pointed out in a previous post, How Much Sugar is Too Much?, we are consuming far more than the recommended daily limit of 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men. The current U.S. average consumption is 20 teaspoons of added, refined sugar every day. However, many teenagers consume much more than that.  As the leading consumer of junk food, it’s easy to see how sugar grams add up. A single 20 oz. soda contains about 60 grams (15 teaspoons) of sugar.

Problems Linked to Sugar

The list of health issues linked to added sugars is very long, but here’s a few of the major concerns:

• Sugar compromises immune function. In one study, two cans of soda (which contain 20 teaspoons of sugar) reduced the efficiency of white blood cells by 92 percent--an effect that lasts up to five hours.
• Refined sugar overworks your pancreas and adrenal glands as they struggle to keep blood sugar levels in balance. In response to sugar, your pancreas pumps out insulin to normalize blood sugar levels. This causes a sudden drop in blood sugar which triggers the adrenals to compensate with the release of cortisol. Overtime, these glands become overworked and “burn out” leading to early menopause, type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia and chronic fatigue.
• Since sugar is devoid of nutrients, the body must use its own nutrient reserves to metabolize it. When these stores are depleted, the body becomes unable to properly metabolize fatty acids and cholesterol, leading to higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Drawing on the body's nutrient reserves can also lead to chronic mineral deficits, especially in magnesium (a mineral required for more than 300 different enzyme activities) and chromium (a trace element that regulates hormones such as insulin), putting you at risk for numerous health problems, from depression to attention deficit disorder to asthma. A recent study found that kids who eat significant amounts of junk food are much more likely to develop asthma than kids who don't.
• Researchers conducting studies of juvenile delinquency and public school children found improved test scores when sugar and white four were eliminated from their diets. Another study conducted in juvenile detention centers found that violent behavior decreased dramatically when sugar was eliminated.
• The damage sugar inflicts on the body is cumulative and may go unnoticed for many years. Experts estimate that is takes roughly 15 – 20 years of steady consumption of refined sugar and junk food before you develop a chronic disease like diabetes. Furthermore, it doesn’t take much to put you at risk. Once intake exceeds 20 teaspoons daily, the risk of chronic illness increases exponentially.

Cutting Back on Sugar

Reducing sugar intake can be difficult as humans naturally crave sweets. However, there are strategies you can employ to reduce or eliminate added sugars:

• Choose whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible as this eliminates added sugars from the start.
• Keep fresh fruit around to satisfy any sweet cravings.
• Instead of artificially sweetened beverages, use one sweetened with the herb stevia.
• Natural sweeteners like honey, blackstrap molasses, fruit juice, brown rice syrup, and evaporated cane juice do contain small amounts of nutrients, such as the B vitamins, iron, calcium and potassium. But these "natural" sweeteners are only marginally better than plain white table sugar and their intake should be limited.

If you do purchase processed foods like cereal, yogurt or snack foods, read the labels carefully. While the total grams of sugar listed under “Nutrition Facts” does not separate sugars naturally in whole foods vs. those added during processing, you can often determine  the amount of added sugars if you can compare it to a “plain” or unsweetened version of the same product.

For example, plain yogurt will only list the sugars found in milk—about 12 grams in a 6 oz container. Therefore you’ll be able to calculate added sugar in a flavored yogurt by subtracting 12 grams from the total amount of sugar.

Another option is to purchase a large container of plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruit. You’ll save money and added sugar!

For more information and tips on how to kick the sugar habit, read The Dangers of Sugar: Is it Really That Bad?

Sources:

WebMD

Nutritional Magnesium

Yes, we mean you--not your car.

We know you probably don’t think it’s necessary to see a doctor unless you’re “dying”, (usually from a bad cold), but skipping out on regular checkups is a big reason why men are dying (for real) before women. The average life expectancy of men is 74.6 years vs. 79.6 years for women.

Research tells us what we already know about men. They are less likely to schedule preventive health screenings, tend to take more risks than females and are more reluctant to seek medical attention.

As a result, men are more likely to die from preventable diseases such as cancer, heart disease and HIV. They are also at a greater risk for accidents and committing suicide.

As we celebrate Men’s Health week, we hope to raise awareness of preventable health problems affecting men and encourage early detection and treatment through regular health checkups.

For all the wives, moms, girl friends and sisters who need a little help encouraging men to have a checkup, here’s some tips that may help you get your guy to see the doctor.

The Good News

The good news is that the days of “annual checkups” are all but gone for most men—unless you have a chronic health condition that is not under control.

Instead, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends the following list of tests that every man should have performed routinely—your doctor may add or remove some of these tests based on your medical history.

• Blood Pressure – starting at age 20 and every 3-5 years afterward
• Cholesterol – age 35 and up or in your 20s if you have other risk factors for heart disease
• Colorectal Cancer – age 50 and up
• Immunization – over age 50 a tetanus booster is recommended every 10 years. A pneumococcal vaccine is recommended once at age 65.
• Prostate Cancer – this screening is highly controversial as there is a high rate of false positives. Speak with your doctor about your specific risks for prostate cancer.
• Diabetes – adults who are overweight or have high blood pressure or cholesterol should also be screened for diabetes.
• Skin Cancer – in addition to regular self-exams, individuals who spend a great deal of time outdoors or have experienced repeated sunburns should see a dermatologist every 2 to 3 years.
• Testicular Cancer – a testicular exam should be part of a routine cancer-related checkup. Though rare, testicular cancer affects young men ages 20 – 39.

The goal of these exams is to catch early signs of the leading causes of death--heart disease, cancer and diabetes--when treatment is most effective.

One Last Tip

Establishing a relationship with a single physician you know and trust and who knows your medical history is the key to good care.

The most important consideration when choosing a primary care physician is how well you communicate with them. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your doctor, choose a new one.

When you establish a strong relationship with your doctor, you are more likely to receive appropriate medication when you need it. You are also less likely to be subjected to needless and costly medical tests.

For more on men’s health, see “Men’s Health Myths Debunked!”

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WebMD

Researchers have found that specific forms of vitamin E commonly found in some vegetable oils and nuts may prevent colon, lung, breast and prostate cancers.

There are eight forms of vitamin E – all of which act as antioxidants that stop free radical damage and oxidation in your body. (Think of antioxidants as protecting your body from “rusting.”) In the vitamin E family there are four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-) and four tocotrinols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-).

In the study, animals fed vitamin E in the form of gamma-tocopherols and delta-tocopherols developed fewer and smaller tumors when exposed to cancer-causing substances. When cancer cells were injected into mice, these tocopherols also slowed the growth of tumors.

Heart Health Benefits

In addition to anti-cancer benefits, gamma-tocopherol antioxidants from food sources may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In another study conducted last year, researchers found that eating pecans high in gamma-tocopherol doubled gamma-tocopherol levels in the body and reduced unhealthy oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood by as much as 33 percent. Similar studies using pistachios found that they reduced cholesterol levels and oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are suspected of causing inflammation and plaque buildup inside blood vessels.

Food Sources:

To get all the benefits of gamma- and delta-tocopherols, include these foods in your diet:

• Soybean, canola and corn oils
• Black Walnuts, English Walnuts, pecans, pistachios
• Flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds

Sources:

Science Daily

USDA

Science Daily

Science Daily

It appears that what’s good for the heart may also be good for the prostate say researchers from the Duke Cancer Institute. They found that men with coronary artery disease had a 74% higher risk of developing prostate cancer than men who did not have heart disease.

The researchers analyzed data from 6,390 men in a four-year clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a drug in reducing prostate cancer. Of those men, 547 reported a history of coronary artery disease before the trial began.

They found that men with coronary artery disease had a 35 percent greater risk of developing prostate cancer over time and a 24 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer within the first two years of the study compared to men who did not have heart disease.

By the end of the clinical trial, men with coronary artery disease had a 74 percent higher risk of prostate cancer than those without heart disease.

These findings took into account a number of risk factors, including hypertension, taking statins or aspirin.

While researchers don't know what's causing the link between heart disease and prostate cancer, finding the association will prompt further research to understand the mechanisms behind both health conditions.

Reducing Your Risk

This study should give men some comfort in knowing that following a heart-healthy lifestyle may also protect them from prostate cancer as well. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States, and prostate cancer is the second most deadly type of cancer for men in the United States.
Learn more about preventable risk factors for heart disease and foods and nutrients that promote heart health.

Source:

Health Finder

This month is all about hearts—the one beating inside your chest and that special valentine that can make the former go pitter-pat. In many ways the two are alike, connected--they both need a little tender loving care.

Matters of the Heart

Just as human relationships need loving care and attention to flourish, your physical heart needs a little TLC too. Give it a healthy diet, a little exercise, and minimal toxins (smoking and alcohol) and you have a good chance of a long and happy life together. Abuse it or take it for granted, and it may not stand the test of time. In matters of the heart, there’s good news and bad news for Americans. While heart disease is still the leading cause of death among men and women, mortality rates are falling due to better diagnosis and treatment. Statin drugs have had a significant impact on reducing high cholesterol --one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease.

However, women do lag behind men in positive outcomes. It has only been in recent years that the medical community realized that heart disease in women is different than men in virtually every aspect—from symptoms and diagnosis to treatment options. Hopefully continued research and awareness of these differences will increase women’s chances of surviving a cardiac event.

It’s high time to banish the damaging myth that heart disease is a man’s illness. Heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined.

Another trend that has everyone in the medical community worried is the staggering rise in obesity among children and adults. Obesity often brings with it high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, and inactivity--all risk factors for heart disease. In fact, many overweight teenagers are already showing signs of heart disease decades before they typically appear. As a result, for the first time in history, today’s children might not outlive their parents.

Preventive Care

Whether you are a man or a woman, young or old, heart disease is almost entirely preventable. Genetics play only a very minor role for most people. Preventable risk factors are:

• High cholesterol and triglycerides
• High blood pressure
• Obesity (Linked to other risk factors:  high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure and diabetes)
• Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet
• Diabetes
• Excessive alcohol
• Smoking

You can virtually eliminate these risk factors by:

• Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein but low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt. Consume heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids from: fish, avocados, nuts and seeds regularly.
• Maintaining a healthy weight as determined by your body mass index or measuring your waist to hip ratio.
• Engaging in moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
• Not smoking.
• Limiting alcohol use as too much can cause high blood pressure.

This February, take the messages of Heart Month and Valentine’s Day to heart and practice a little TLC 365 days a year. Read more about the top differences between men and women for heart health here.

Sources:

American Heart Association

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NPR

Science in Society

We’ve always known that high blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke but new research has quantified the lifetime risk—and it’s not good news. Among the findings, the study reports that almost 70 percent of all men who develop high blood pressure in middle age will experience a cardiovascular disease event by age 85. Cardiovascular events include angina, heart attack and stroke.

By contrast, those who maintained or reduced their blood pressure to normal levels by age 55 had a lifetime risk for CVD between 22 percent and 41 percent.

The study analyzed data from 61,585 participants in the Cardiovascular Lifetime Risk Pooling Project to understand how changes in blood pressure during middle age affected lifetime CVD risk. Previous studies had evaluated risk for CVD based on blood pressure at a given age. In this study, age 55 was considered a mid-point for middle age.

They tracked blood pressure changes from an average of 14 years prior to age 55 and then continued to follow the patients until the first cardiovascular event, death, or age 95.

Researchers also found:

• Women, in general, had higher increases in blood pressure during middle age.
• Women who develop high blood pressure by early middle-age (average age 41) have a higher lifetime risk for CVD (49.4 percent) than those who have maintained normal blood pressure up to age 55.
• At an average age 55, 25.7 percent of men and 40.8 percent of women had normal blood pressure levels; 49.4 percent of men and 47.5 of women had prehypertension.
• When factoring in all blood pressure levels, the overall lifetime CVD risk for people 55 years or older was 52.5 percent for men and 39.9 percent for women.
• The lifetime risk for CVD was higher among Blacks compared with Whites of the same sex, and increased with rising blood pressure at middle age.

Better Risk Assessment

The researchers believe that tracking blood pressure changes over time provides a more accurate estimate for the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease and can help us predict individualized risk, and thus, individualized prevention strategies.

Since the data suggests that both early elevations and changes over time in blood pressure measurements impact your future risk of CVD, you can take preventive steps early on to reduce your chance of heart attack or stroke.

Do you know your risk?

Have your blood pressure checked by a health care provider at least once a year. Even children should have their blood pressure checked as part of their routine physical exams. Do not rely on drug store measurements as these may not be accurate enough.

Sources:

Science Daily

Cleveland Clinic

If you’re dieting and exercising and still having trouble losing those last five pounds, don’t worry. It’s probably not going to kill you—at least that's what new research seems to suggest.

The study found that if you maintain or improve your fitness level – even if your body weight has not changed or increased—you can reduce your risk of death significantly.  

Among the 14,345 adult men in the study (mostly white and middle or upper class) researchers found:

• Every unit of increased fitness (measured as MET, metabolic equivalent of task) over six years was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of heart disease and stroke-related deaths and a 15 percent lower risk of death from any cause.
• Becoming less fit was linked to higher death risk, regardless of BMI changes.
• BMI change was not associated with death risks. (BMI or Body Mass Index is a measurement based on weight and height.)

Study Design

Researchers used maximal treadmill tests to estimate physical fitness (maximal METs) and recorded changes in physical fitness and BMI over a six-year period. They followed the text subjects for more than 11 years after the study period to determine the relative risks of dying among men who lost, maintained or gained fitness over the study period.

It’s important to note that about 90 percent of the men in the study were either normal weight or overweight at the beginning of the study, but none were obese. So, it’s unclear whether these results would apply to severely obese people. (A BMI score of 30 or greater is obese.)

Also, because study participants were mostly white and middle to upper class, it's unclear whether the results apply to other racial and socioeconomic groups, say the researchers. However, they report that women would likely have similar results as the men in the study.

The researchers did account for other factors that can affect outcomes including BMI change, age, family history of heart disease, beginning fitness level, changes in lifestyle factors such as smoking and physical activity, and medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

Source:

Science Daily

The Food and Drug Administration unveiled the new cigarette health warnings that will be required on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the U.S. beginning September 2012. The warnings now include graphic images of diseased lungs, mouth cancer, and a corpse among others. (view graphics)

The warnings represent the most significant changes to cigarette labels in more than 25 years. Currently, cigarette packaging is only required to carry a warning in small typeface along one side of the cigarette pack or carton. The new warnings will be more prominent covering 50% of the front and back panels of each cigarette pack.

Each warning consists of an image and text that focuses on a different health risk associated with smoking:

WARNING: Cigarettes are addictive.
WARNING: Tobacco smoke can harm your children.
WARNING: Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease.
WARNING: Cigarettes cause cancer.
WARNING: Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease.
WARNING: Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby.
WARNING: Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non-smokers.
WARNING: Quitting smoking now greatly reduces serious risks to your health.

Public health officials hope that the new labels will renew the nation’s antismoking efforts, which have stalled in recent years.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States. More than 1,200 people a day are killed by cigarettes, and 50 percent of all long-term smokers are killed by smoking-related diseases, which add up to about 443,000 deaths annually. The cost to treat these health problems exceeds $96 billion a year.

What do you think of the new warnings? Do they go too far or not far enough? Join the discussion with CNCAhealth on Facebook and Twitter.

Sources:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

New York Times

Although heart disease is often thought of as a problem for men, more women than men die of heart disease each year. There are many factors that have made diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women more challenging:

• Most of the research on heart disease has been conducted on men. It’s only within the last decade that we learned that the presentation, manifestation, and diagnosis of heart disease in women is different than men.
• For years, this lack of research as well as gender bias played a role in dismissing symptoms in women as meaningless or fictitious. Some people still believe that heart disease is a “man’s disease.”
• The classic heart attack symptoms: chest pain, tingling down the arm (usually the left arm), accompanied by shortness of breath, profuse sweating, and light-headedness are more common in men. Women often experience less specific symptoms such as pain in the back, neck, jaw or stomach and nausea, indigestion, or vomiting.  
• Women wait longer to go to an emergency room, assuming their symptoms are not heart-attack related. This may be one reason why more women than men with a heart attack die before they reach a hospital.
• Health care professionals and patients often attribute chest pain in women to non-cardiac causes.  
• Women tend to have heart attacks later in life when they have other diseases which can mask heart attack symptoms. Increased age explains why women have greater mortality after a heart attack.
• Men’s plaque distributes in clumps whereas women’s distributes more evenly throughout artery walls. This results in angiographic tests being misinterpreted as normal.

While men and women share the traditional risk factors for heart disease—high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity—other factors affect women to a greater extent than men.

• Metabolic syndrome — a combination of fat around the abdomen, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides — has a greater impact on women than on men.
• Mental stress and depression affect women's hearts more than men's. Depression makes it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow recommended treatment.
• Smoking is a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than in men.
• Low levels of estrogen after menopause pose a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease in the smaller blood vessels.

The ongoing National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study has helped explain why detecting heart disease in women is more challenging. Researchers believe that as many as half of the women with heart disease have Coronary Microvascular Disease (MVD) that may go undiagnosed. With MVD plaque accumulates in very small arteries of the heart, causing narrowing, reduced oxygen flow to the heart, and pain that can be similar to that of people with blocked arteries, but the plaque does not show up when physicians use standard tests. When a diagnosis of this condition is missed, women are not treated for their chest pain and high cholesterol and they remain at high risk for having a heart attack. These are the women who, in the past, may have been told that the problem is “all in their head.”

Standard treatments for coronary blockage, such as angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery, are not an option to treat MVD. Instead, the treatment focuses on reducing risk through managing high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking are also important.

The message for women is to learn the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease specific to women.  Many women tend to show up in emergency rooms after much heart damage has already been done because their symptoms are not those typically associated with a heart attack. If you experience any of the symptoms listed above or think you're having a heart attack, call for emergency medical help immediately. Don't drive yourself to the emergency room unless you have no other options.

Learn more about Heart Disease in Women.  Watch the video below:

Sources:

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic.

American College of Cardiology.  

No matter what your age, exercise and physical activity are good for your mind, body and spirit. Getting regular exercise through your senior years can help you:

• Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent.
• Have more energy to do the things you want to do.
• Improve your balance.
• Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
• Lift your spirits and reduce depression.

There are many ways to become more active, but your chances of sticking with it over time are better if you choose activities you enjoy. As with any lifestyle change, start slow and gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your exercise. You can begin by building more physical activity into your daily routine. Try parking the car farther from the store entrance when you go shopping or raking the leaves instead of hiring someone to do it. More...

Between taking care of a home, a spouse, children and a full-time job, many women devote virtually all of their time and energy to everyone else's needs but often neglect their own. For women who don't take the time to eat right, exercise and reduce stress the consequences can have a ripple effect far beyond their personal health.

The goal of National Women's Health Week, is to tell women that "It's your time" to make your health a top priority.

The most important steps women can take to improve their health include eating a well balanced, nutritious diet; getting regular physical activity; avoiding unhealthy behaviors, like smoking; and paying attention to mental health. Taking these steps can reduce the risk of the top four causes of death among women: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease.

In addition, women should get regular checkups and preventive screenings. Here are some general guidelines for recommended screenings and immunizations for women. Your doctor or health practitioner may adjust the timing based on your health care needs.

It is also important for women to maintain a personal and family health history as this may affect risk factors and prevention of some diseases.

National Women's Health Week, which begins with Mother's Day on May 8, is coordinated by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and includes National Women's Checkup Day on May 9th.

We too urge all women to take time out for yourself so you can live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Sources:

"It's Your Time." National Women's Health Week. Web. 23 April 2011.

Just as negative emotions can be harmful to your heart and slow down healing, mindful optimism may help you live longer, even in the face of coronary heart disease (CHD).

After receiving a coronary angiography, some 2,800 patients with obstructive CHD (median age 62) were surveyed by researchers about their expectations for their long-term survival and functional abilities while being treated in the hospital. For example, patients were asked if they hoped to live a long, healthy life or expected to suffer or never fully recover from their condition.

It wasn't hugely surprising that more than half of the patients who were surveyed died (1,637) during the 15-year follow-up period. Two numbers did stand out head and shoulders above the rest, however. For one, just 54 percent (885) of the patients surveyed died due to heart-related reasons. Lastly, patients who expressed positive attitudes about their eventual recovery were 30 percent more likely to survive by study's end, even after taking into account age, financial status, the presence of depression, gender and the severity of their illness.

The qualities that enabled more optimistic heart patients to live longer, as described by lead researcher, Dr. John Barefoot, a professor of psychology at Duke University to the New York Times, weren't terribly surprising.

• Listening to your doctor.
• Taking your medicine at the right times.
• Managing stress more effectively.
• Making lifestyle changes for the long-term.

Archives of Internal Medicine February 28, 2011

Medscape Today March 1, 2011 Free Subscription Required

USA Today March 1, 2011

New York Times/Well February 28, 2011

If you answered the question posed in the headline above as anything more than a miniscule double-digit percentage, based on Americans faithfully following the five low-risk criteria cited in the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), you may be badly mistaken about the current state of the nation's collective health, not to mention your own.

Fact is, the number of American adults (age 25-74) who don't have the five low-risk factors for heart disease -- taking non-smoking status, no obesity issues, normal blood pressure, cholesterol numbers below 200 and a lack of a diabetes diagnosis into account -- sits at just 7.5 percent, a huge drop from the 10.5 percent reported in the previous NHANES report, collected from 1988-94. In other words, 92.5 percent of all Americans have some elevated risks for heart disease.

Generally, tobacco use is falling, a collective reduction in cholesterol levels appears to be leveling off but BMI, diabetes and blood pressure stats are "headed in the wrong direction," according to the study. And, although the health of both sexes is trending the same, significantly more women than men followed low-risk factors across the board.

Also contributing to the drastic reversal in the latest NHANES survey: An overall imbalance connecting sharp drops in physical activity to the growing amounts of food Americans consume.

Circulation September 14, 2009

Science Daily September 18, 2009

Time.com September 14, 2009