By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, July 1, 2024 ( HealthDay News ) -- People who eat more ultra-processed foods are more likely to suffer an early death, particularly from heart disease or diabetes, a new study warns. Older adults who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed foods are about 10% more likely to die than those who eat less processed foods, over an average 23-year follow-up. In particular, soft drinks and highly processed meats like hot dogs, sausages and deli cold cuts are “most strongly associated with mortality risk,” said researcher Erikka Loftfield, an investigator with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). “Eating a diet low in these foods is already recommended for disease prevention and health promotion,” Loftfield added in an NCI news release. Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from whole foods, like saturated fats, starches and added sugars. These products also contain a wide variety of additives to make them more tasty, attractive and shelf-stable, including colors, emulsifiers, flavors and stabilizers. Examples include packaged baked goods, sugary cereals, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products and deli meat. For this study, researchers analyzed data from more than 540,000 people ages 50 to 71 regarding their eating habits and their health. The data was gathered in the mid-1990s; more than half of the participants have subsequently died. Even after accounting for other health risk factors, researchers found that people who consumed the highest levels of ultra-processed food were more likely to die early than people who ate the least. Ultra-processed food specifically increased the risk of death related to heart disease or diabetes, but not cancer. “Our study results support a larger body of literature, including both observational and experimental studies, which indicate that ultra-processed food intake adversely impacts health and longevity,” Loftfield said. “However, there is still a lot that we don’t know, including what aspects of ultra-processed foods pose potential health risks,” Loftfield added. Researchers presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago. Such research should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. SOURCE: American Society for Nutrition, news release, June 30, 2024

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Exercise capacity is one of the most important markers of cardiovascular health, and now a local study is focused on improving the evaluation heart function. Dr. Christos Mihos, with Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Heart Institute, is overseeing a study called “FIT-TWIST” to closely monitor the effects of a standard cardiac rehab program on patients who’ve had heart attacks. “The heart is a muscle, just like any other muscle in our body. It’s the most complex muscle in our body and it moves in very intricate ways -- let’s say three dimensional ways -- and what we’re doing with this study is we’re saying, ‘OK, you’ve had a heart attack.’ We do an echocardiogram, which is just a basic ultrasound of the heart, but we apply very advanced modalities called speckle tracking and that allows us to visualize that three dimensional motions that we’re talking about,” Mihos said. The goal is to tailor physical therapy to each individual patient. The study was funded by the Florida Heart Research Foundation.

The World Health Organization reports that 4 out of 5 people with high blood pressure are not receiving adequate treatment. This is why heart disease education and resources are so important! See more here .

(ABC 6 News) – According to Mayo Clinic, nearly 350,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest each year and almost 90% of them don’t survive. Because of that, one Mayo Clinic doctor is using her platform to ensure communities suffering more frequently from cardiac arrests are better prepared. Mayo Clinic associate professor, Dr. LaPrincess Brewer, says there’s a greater chance of suffering from cardiac arrests in the U.S. if you’re African-American, and that is why she is doing her part to lessen the disparity in African-American communities compared to their white counterparts. Dr. Brewer decided she needed to offer more CPR training for African-American churches and community members following the sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, on January 2, 2023. Many, including Dr. Brewer, were shocked at how this could happen to a 24-year-old professional athlete. This lit a fire in Dr. Brewer to make sure that people understand how much more risky it is for African-Americans to go into cardiac arrest. “I was immediately compelled to start this initiative for CPR training. I wanted to make sure that my community members were able to intervene in the case that this happened in the community,” said Dr. Brewer. The community is learning from others as well, including two men who know firsthand just how dangerous cardiac arrest can be. Bruce Wizik and Gene Johnson are survivors of cardiac arrests. It’s been over 15 years since they both experienced their own, now retiring from being school teachers to teach others about cardiac arrests. They want communities across Minnesota to learn how they can save lives if they ever experience this life-saving emergency. They’re also putting the message out on how different a cardiac arrest is from a heart attack. “So many people don’t know the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest. A heart attack is a plumbing problem, and cardiac arrest is an electrical problem,” said Wizik. “Another big thing about a heart attack is that you’re conscious. You’re conscious and aware. With sudden cardiac arrest you are not conscious, you are gone,” added Johnson. Dr. Brewer has lost someone she loved after they suffered from cardiac arrest, and she wants to make sure no one else has to go through it. “I’ve had family members that have had a cardiac arrest in the field and unfortunately they did not survive. So this is one other thing that is why I am doing this for the African-American community,” said Dr. Brewer. See more here

You likely know that drinking alcohol too often or to excess isn’t a good idea, health-wise. But when it comes to alcohol and heart health, you may have heard different sides. Is drinking all that bad for your heart? Can a glass of wine help reduce your risk of heart disease — or make it worse? First things first: If you drink alcohol, you should do so in moderation to avoid alcohol-related heart issues. And you should never intentionally use alcohol to try to reduce your risk of heart disease. To further explore the relationship between your ticker and your favorite glass of merlot or IPA, we chatted with cardiologist Leslie Cho, MD. Ways alcohol can impact heart health Here are some of the effects of alcohol on your heart: Increased heart rate One of the most important things your heart does is keep a rhythm. On average, a regular heart rate is about 60 to 100 beats per minute when your body is at rest. But alcohol can lead to your heart rate temporarily jumping up in speed, and if it goes over 100 beats per minute, it can cause a condition called tachycardia. Too many episodes of tachycardia could lead to more serious issues like heart failure or going into irregular rhythms, which can cause heart attack and stroke. Raises blood pressure That fourth drink at the bar may feel like it’s relaxing you, but it’s actually affecting your body differently than you might think. Alcohol can affect your blood pressure, causing it to go up temporarily. This is especially true when you engage in binge drinking (that’s defined as four or more drinks within two hours for women and people assigned female at birth, and five or more drinks within two hours for men and people assigned male at birth). And sure, we’ve all had a night here or there where we’ve had one too many and we know it. But it’s important to make sure those nights of overindulgence are the exception and not the rule. If you’re not sure, make a note to tune into how much you’re having over the course of the next month or so. If it’s more than recommended, try to consciously pace your drinking to help reduce the spike in your blood pressure that excessive alcohol causes. And if you have a history of high blood pressure, it’s best to avoid alcohol completely or drink only occasionally, and in moderation. Irregular heartbeat Whether it’s a glass of red wine with your turkey or toasting champagne for the new year, alcohol definitely becomes more present during the holiday season. And while enjoying celebratory spirits in moderation is alright for most people, it’s important to be aware you can fall victim to holiday heart syndrome if you overdo it. This is when overeating and overindulging in alcohol lead to an irregular heartbeat. Holiday heart syndrome can happen if you don’t typically drink alcohol, but then have a few at a holiday party or if you binge drink. This can cause you to develop an irregular heartbeat, called atrial fibrillation, which can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure. Prolonged drinking can cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy The short-term effects of alcohol (headache, nausea, you know the rest) are easy to pinpoint. But there are ways that alcohol affects your body over time that are important to understand. One of the long-term effects of alcohol on your heart is alcoholic cardiomyopathy. This is when your heart-pumping function gets weaker and your heart gets larger due to changes from heavy alcohol use over a long period of time. OK, don’t panic. If you’re an occasional drinker, there’s no cause for worry. But it may be worthwhile learning about what counts as binge drinking and whether or not you may be drinking too much and don’t even know it. Is some level of alcohol safe or beneficial? It’s true, red wine is a better choice than hard liquor. But can a trip to the wine bar boost your heart health? You should never consider wine or any other alcohol as a way to lower your heart disease risk. And, in fact, the study also showed that drinking one or fewer drinks per day was related to the lowest likelihood of dying from a stroke. However, Dr. Cho points out that more recent data shows that there may be no amount of alcohol that is truly safe. “The myth that wine is beneficial for heart health is no longer true,” she states. “It’s not a good idea to start drinking alcohol in an effort to lower your risk of heart disease,” Dr. Cho continues. “It’s better not to drink any alcohol at all.” The American Heart Association recommends the same. Other factors to keep in mind It’s also important to know that the ways in which alcohol affects your heart will vary from person to person, depending on your age and other conditions you may have. Age Let’s face it, a hangover in your mid-40s doesn’t feel the same as one in your early 20s. This is because your age plays a factor in how well you tolerate alcohol. While some people develop a tolerance to alcohol over time, this isn’t true for everyone — and this ability doesn’t last forever, Dr. Cho notes. “As we get older, our ability to clear alcohol definitely decreases and our sensitivity to alcohol probably increases,” she explains. “Also as we get older, we end up having more diseases, so we could be on medicines that can interfere with the way our bodies metabolize alcohol.” Other medical conditions In many ways, your medical history (and present) can tell you a lot about your future with alcohol. That means, if you’re living with other medical conditions and/or taking certain medications, this will all have an impact on how alcohol affects you. “Certain health conditions can make drinking alcohol more dangerous,” Dr. Cho says. For example, some people who are on cholesterol-lowering medicines may experience muscle aches when they drink alcohol. Because alcohol and cholesterol medicine both are processed through your liver, they are, in a sense, competing for clearance. So, it’s important to think about your overall health and talk to a healthcare provider about your personal risk factors. “Alcohol is made out of sugar,” Dr. Cho points out. “So, if you’re predisposed to diabetes or if high triglycerides are one of your issues, it’s not a good idea to drink alcohol.” Dr. Cho also warns that if you have liver dysfunction or take other medicines that are processed through the liver, your risks might be different. Talk to your healthcare provider about how alcohol might interact with your prescription medicines. The last thing you want is for that casual drink after work or glass of wine at dinner to negatively impact your heart health. There’s a way to have a healthy, balanced relationship with alcohol that lets you enjoy a drink occasionally and celebrate with friends and family. But your heart is an important organ that should also be cared for, so be sure to drink in moderation, learn about binge drinking and know what your body can (and can’t) tolerate before opening that tab. Source: Cleveland Clinic

Stress causes all sorts of minor physical discomfort—think sweaty hands and an upset stomach. But it can also raise your risk of serious heart problems, says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., who frequently offers his patients advice on how to keep stress from threatening their heart health. Perhaps the most surprising part of the connection is that stress can pop up in many different scenarios—from relationships to “good” jobs to sporting events. And all can take a toll on your heart health. Recognize Stress Sneaking In Going through a divorce can be quite stressful, but until recently researchers didn’t know how long the health effects of that stress might last. In a recent study that followed participants over 18 years, women going through two or more divorces had a rise in heart attack risk that was similar to that of a smoker or a person with diabetes. The study found a higher heart attack risk in men who’d had multiple divorces too. Though men did see a health benefit from remarriage, women did not. Even decades after a divorce, relationship stress can leave a powerful imprint on your health. Work-related stress can also harm your heart. Research has found that people who are more worried about losing their job are nearly 20 percent more likely to have heart disease. “But people who are happy in their jobs may be chronically stressed as well because of the competitiveness of their jobs or because they’re trying to balance their work and home life,” Blaha says. Surprisingly, even stress related to enjoyable events may raise your risk of a heart emergency. During a recent World Cup soccer event, heart attacks more than doubled in one German city during days when the nation’s team was playing. Stress and Heart Disease: What’s the Link? Stress can increase inflammation in your body, which in turn is linked to factors that can harm your heart, such as high blood pressure and lower “good” HDL cholesterol, Blaha says. But chronic stress can also affect your heart in a more indirect way. When you’re worried, you tend to sleep poorly. You’re also less likely to exercise, make healthy food choices, or watch your weight, Blaha says. All of these lifestyle changes can put your heart health at risk. How to Protect Your Heart “Too often, people consider their stress as almost separate from their health,” Blaha says. If you’re struggling with any kind of stress, recognize that it can have harmful consequences. These steps can help you protect your heart during stressful times: Get professional advice. Discuss your stress levels with your health care provider. This is especially important if you have other risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity or high blood pressure, Blaha says. Sometimes, just talking with your doctor can convince you to change your lifestyle. Let stress motivate you. Turn stress into a reason to exercise instead of using it as an excuse to avoid physical activity, Blaha recommends. “When you have a stressful day, taking a break to walk with friends over lunch can take your mind away from the grind,” he notes. Source: John Hopkins Medicine