Archive for the ‘Heart Health’ Category

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart problem that affects more than 2 million Americans. This condition involves an abnormality in heart rhythm, which is brought about by the irregular contraction of the heart’s upper chamber. Although it may be asymptomatic, it can increase one’s risk for stroke. Atrial fibrillation is often treated with drugs like beta-blockers and anticoagulants to help control heart rate and prevent thromboembolism, which can lead to stroke, but some patients do not respond well to these. Researchers led by Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy from the University of Kansas Medical Center have found that taking regular yoga […]

Posted in: Alternative Health, Heart Health, Meditation, News Briefs

Tags: abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, beta-blockers, irregular contraction, yoga

Recently published data from the American Heart Association (AHA) shows that the leading cause of death among Americans is heart disease and there are four worst foods that are hazardous to the heart. These are trans fat, saturated fat, salt and added sugars. Trans fat raises the level of LDL or bad cholesterol and lowers the HDL or good cholesterol. High source of trans fat can be found in crackers, bakery goods, packaged snacks, selected margarines and other foods that contain hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fat may also be naturally found in meat and dairy products but […]

Posted in: Healthy Eating, Heart Health, News Briefs

Tags: leading cause of death, salt, Saturated Fat, sugar, trans fat

Many people develop various types of chronic diseases as they grow older, and among them cardiovascular disease is a common cause for premature death. A new Northwestern Medicine study however, shows that people who have optimum cardiovascular health during their middle age are more likely to live longer that people who possess risk factors related to heart health. The results of the study, which were reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) show that participants who had good cardiac health lived 14 years longer , disease-free, than their peers who had at least two risk factors. John […]

Posted in: Heart Health, News Briefs

Tags: chronic disease, high blood pressure, premature death causes

Japanese researchers find that cooking food with a blend of sesame and rice bran oils can help reduce blood pressure as well as blood cholesterol levels. They reported these findings at the recent American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions. Devarajan Sankar, M.D, Ph.D., a research scientist in the Department of Cardiovascular Disease at Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital in Chikushino, Japan adds that consumption of these oils may reduce the risk of heart disease and may be used to substitute less healthy oils in one’s diet. The study involved 300 hypertensive participants who were randomly divided into […]

Posted in: Disease Prevention, Heart Health, Hypertension, Hypertension, Natural Remedies, News Briefs, Rice Bran Oil, Sesame Oil

Tags: benefits of rice bran oil, benefits of sesame oil, is sesame oil healthy, rice bran oil benefits, rice bran oil nutrition, sesame oil benefits, sesame seed oil

Researchers led by Huifen Wang, PhD, of Tufts University in Boston report at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research meeting in Washington, D.C. that regular yogurt consumption as part of a healthy diet may help reduce one’s risk for high blood pressure (hypertension). The results of their study supports the American Heart Association’s recommendation of consuming 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy per day and reinforces the role of these foods in reducing blood pressure., according to Rachel Johnson, PhD, RD, chair of the AHA nutrition committee. The team of researchers analyzed data from the Framingham Heart Study which […]

Posted in: Healthy Eating, Heart Health, Hypertension, News Briefs, Probiotics

Tags: health benefits of yogurt, probiotics in yogurt, probiotics yogurt, yogurt health benefits, yogurt probiotics, yogurt with probiotics