American Heart Association Archives

News Bites May 21, 2018

Adopting these 5 habits can add years to your life, study shows

Everyone wants a long, healthy life, but are we doing what is necessary to actually get there? A new study conducted by Harvard suggests that if American adults integrate five specific habits into their daily lives, their life expectancy will be increased by more than a decade. The recommended five habits are: 1. Don’t smoke 2. Eat a healthy diet 3. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise, daily 4. Maintain a healthy weight 5. Consume alcohol only in moderation The research, published last month in the journal Circulation, says that adopting these five healthy-habits could prolong your life expectancy at age 50 by a little more than 14 years of woman and a little more than 12 years for men. “The general population just needs to adopt a small step forward toward a healthier lifestyle,” says the lead researcher, Yanping, Li, MD, PhD, a scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School…

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News Bites February 3, 2018

6 unexpected factors that put you at risk of heart disease

Every 60 seconds, a women will die from heart disease in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the number one killer of women (and men) in America, but it’s not always just giving up cigarettes and stepping away from donut box that will save you. It’s a little more involved than that. It is true that the biggest risk factors for heart disease are obesity, lack of exercise, smoking and high blood pressure, according to the AHA, but as a women, there are other factors than increase your risk of blocked arteries as well. Little did you know that when you were growing up, your likelihood for developing heart disease was beginning to form. While you couldn’t decide at what age you got your period or whether you’ve had heartbreak, you can avoid other lesser-known stressors like diet pills. February is Heart Healthy Month, and if you’re serious…

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News Bites November 3, 2017

Enjoying spicy foods linked to lower blood pressure

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People who eat spicy foods may have a heightened sensitivity to the taste of salt, a new study suggests. The findings were recently published in the journal Hypertension and show there is reason to believe eating spicy foods may help people consume less salt. Eating less salt means lower blood pressure and better health for millions of people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people are eating too much salt in all corners of the world. The recommended daily salt intake is less than 5 grams, but most people consume somewhere between 9 and 12 grams. The WHO estimates that 2.5 million deaths could be prevented each year if salt consumption was reduced to the recommended levels. The health issue prompted Zhiming Zhu, M.D., professor of cardiovascular medicine and metabolism at the Chongqing Institute of Hypertension in China to pursue alternatives to salt. Zhu and his team decided to study spicy food…

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News Bites June 18, 2017

New American Heart Association Study Warns Against Coconut Oil

Superfood fans take caution. The American Heart Association recently released a report advising against consuming coconut oil. Coconut oil has seen a growing following in recent years as fans viewed it as an almost miracle-like fat and butter alternative, particularly with the paleo set. Touted as a superfood, cooking with the waxy white solid was said to burn fat, kill harmful microorganisms, curb hunger and improve cholesterol levels. But researchers recently found that coconut oil increased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in seven out of seven trials, and they failed to see a difference between coconut oil and other popular oils high in saturated fat like butter, lard and beef fat. In fact, 82 percent of the fat in coconut oil is s saturated, while butter (63%), beef fat (50%) and pork lard (39%) contain less. Frank Sacks, lead author on the report, said he has no idea why people think coconut oil is healthy — I’s almost…

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