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Top 10 Secrets to A Healthier Heart
 They all help cut your risk of
heart disease, the top cause of death among
people.
At least 40 to 50 people die of heart related ailments every hour in the
country. And at least 15 to 20 million men and women suffer from some of heart
disease or the other. The good news: It's also true that preventing heart
problems is getting easier. Here, we gathered the latest tricks � all backed by
solid research � to take care of your heart.
 Get milk
A new study sponsored by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found
that, among people who didn't eat a lot of
saturated fat, those who consumed
more than three daily servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese had systolic blood
pressure (the top number) almost four points lower than those who ate only half
a serving daily. High blood pressure
can damage your arteries, increasing your
risk for heart attacks and
stroke. Researchers say low-fat dairy is the smart
choice, because it's lower in saturated fat.
Researchers found that adults who had at least one serving of lowfat milk or
milk products each day had 37 percent lower odds of poor kidney function linked
to heart disease compared to those who drank little or no lowfat milk. To
determine heart disease risk, researchers from several universities in the
United States and Norway measured the kidney function of more than 5,000 older
adults ages 45 to 84. They tracked eating patterns and tested albumin-to-creatinine
ratio (ACR) - a measure that when too low, can indicate poor kidney function and
an extremely high risk for cardiovascular disease, according to the American
Heart Association. Researchers found that people who reported consuming more
lowfat milk and milk products had lower ACR, or healthier kidney function. In
fact, lowfat milk and milk products was the only food group evaluated that on
its own, was significantly linked to a reduced risk for kidney dysfunction. The
study authors cited other research suggesting milk
protein, vitamin D, magnesium
and calcium may contribute to milk's potential heart health benefits. The U.S.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend drinking three glasses of lowfat or
fat free milk each day.
 Try new moves
Thirty minutes of Tai Chi � a gentle Chinese martial art that includes sequences
of slow, relaxing movements � may also lower your blood pressure. Interestingly,
the slow movements of these techniques are associated with some lowering of
stress
and blood pressure as well as some benefits for
balance. In one study,
after 12 weeks of Tai Chi, participants showed a decrease in systolic pressure
of almost 16 points.
 Go fishing
How fast your heart beats when you're at rest can be an indicator of heart
attack risk. In fact, higher resting heart rates have been linked to an
increased risk of sudden death. The good news is that eating fish can lower your
heart rate. In one Harvard Medical School study. people who ate five or more
servings per month of fish such as tuna or salmon (baked or broiled) averaged
3.2 fewer beats per minute than those who ate less than one serving per month.
Researchers credit the
omega-3 fatty acids in fish, aids in significant decline
in plasma total triacylglycerol concentrations.
 Hit the juice
 Pomegranate juice seems to stave off hardening of the arteries � and may even
reverse it. A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences found that pomegranate juice reduced the rate of
cholesterol plaque
buildup in mice by 30 percent. And heart cells treated with the juice showed a
50 percent increase in the production of nitric oxide, a substance that helps
fight plaque. It is also believed to have anti-atherosclerotic properties, as
studies in Israel have shown that the fruit juice, taken daily, prevented the
thickening of arteries and slowed down cholesterol oxidation by almost half (Clin
Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33).
 Sprinkle on the soy
A daily dash of dark soy sauce in marinades, dipping sauces, salad dressing, or
soups and stews can help fight heart-damaging substances linked to
smoking,
obesity, or
diabetes, according to research from the National University of
Singapore. The sauce has 10 times the antioxidants in wine, which is also
heart-healthy (in moderation). But watch out: Soy sauces often have a ton of
salt, which can raise blood pressure. Check labels for lower-salt versions. The
Heart Association statement notes that soy products like
tofu, soy butter, soy
nuts and some soy burgers should be heart-healthy because they contain a lot of
polyunsaturated fats, fiber,
vitamins and
minerals and are low in saturated fat.
 Laugh it up
Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a
heart attack, according to a new study by cardiologists at the University of
Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The study, which is the first to indicate
that laughter may help prevent heart disease, was presented at the American
Heart Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions on November 15 in New Orleans. We
don't know yet why laughing protects the heart, but we know that mental stress
is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining
our blood vessels. This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead
to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately to a
heart attack. It was also observed that people who watched comedy films like There's
Something About Mary had better blood flow, compared with those who watched
dramas like Saving Private Ryan, according to a study at the University of
Maryland school of Medicine in Baltimore. Principal researcher Michael Miller,
M.D., director of the centre for Preventive Cardiology, recommends 15 minutes of
daily laughter.
 Don't skimp on sleep
People who sleep less than 5 hours higher each night have a 30 per cent higher
risk of heart disease than those getting 8 hours, according to a study from the
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Too little sleep may play havoc with
your hormones, blood
sugar, and blood pressure. So after getting your 15 minutes
of laughs, turn off that PC/TV and turn in. About one-third of
Americans sleep 6.5 hours or less a night, according to the National Sleep
Foundation. While these Americans may be putting their health at risk, people
shouldn't spend all of their time sleeping, either; research shows that sleeping
more than nine hours may also have deleterious effects, although the reasons for
this are less clear. Short-term studies show that with
sleep deprivation, the
sympathetic nervous system becomes activated. As a result, your blood vessels
constrict and your blood pressure tends to go up. And we think that may play a
role in heart disease. Sleep deprivation probably also affects the
regulation of blood sugar. If you're sleep deprived, it requires more insulin to
keep your blood sugar where it should be than it does if you're not sleep
deprived. And elevated insulin levels and poor blood sugar regulation are major
contributors to development of vascular disease, which then can lead to heart
disease.
 Breathe deeper
You can lower your blood pressure by taking 10 breathes per minute (instead of
usual 16 to 19) for 15 minutes a day over 2 months, studies show. Researcher
David Anderson, PhD, a hypertension expert at the National Institute on Aging,
says shallow breathing (more beats per minute) may delay your body's excretion
of salt, a high-blood-pressure trigger.
 Feel the beat
A group of University of Oxford researchers found that slow, meditative musical
rhythms can lead to a healthy drop in heart rate , while faster rhythms speed up
breathing and circulation. According to the study presented at the recent
meeting of the American Heart Association, listening to favorite music dilates
blood vessels in the same manner as positive emotions such as laughing,
exercising or taking blood pressure medication.
The study reported that vascular dilatation prevents the formation of blood
clots and atherosclerosis-causing plaques, and therefore reduces the risk of
further cardiovascular events. Findings revealed that while joyful music
increases the blood vessel diameter by 26 percent, listening to music one
dislikes narrows the blood vessels by 6 percent. Scientists believe music also
helps feel better by releasing certain neuro-chemicals known as endorphins in
the brain.
 Run for life
It is true that exercise temporarily raises the odds of a heart attack while
you're mid-workout, but doing it consistently reduces that risk over the long
haul, leading to a net benefit. Some researchers have questioned whether
marathon running,
especially in people who haven't trained a lot, might cause heart damage, at
least temporarily. But there's no evidence that it causes long-term harm or
actually leads to heart attacks. Even athletes with enlarged hearts�if they're
healthy hearts�aren't, as once feared, at risk of early death. The bottom line:
Simply going for a run most days of the week is doing far more good than bad for
your heart. Running seems to strengthen your heart, as well as other muscles, and lower
cholesterol. But if you don't think running is the right exercise for you, just
walking 30 minutes a day will lower your heart attack risk by half. Exercise is
the closest thing to a magic bullet.
Prevention really is better than cure. Follow these tips to help your heart
stay healthy.
Dated 05 February 2015
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