Children and teenagers who practice heart-healthy behaviours live longer.
A new study confirms what we've always suspected: our health and habits as children and teenagers have an impact on our health as adults. And it's not just about our health; it's also about how long we live.
What did the research measure and discover?
Nearly 40,000 people from the United States, Finland, and Australia have been enrolled in the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohorts Consortium Outcomes Study. From the 1970s through the 1990s, they began registering them as children and have been tracking them ever since.
The effects of five risk factors were studied by the researchers:
The body mass index, or BMI, is a statistic that determines if a person's weight is within a healthy range.
total cholesterol value, which is a measure of how much pressure is imposed on the arteries when the heartbeats. systolic blood pressure, which is the highest number in a blood pressure reading and is a measure of how much pressure is placed on the arteries when the heartbeats.
While cholesterol is necessary for the formation of cells and hormones, too much of it can cause heart disease and stroke.
triglyceride level is a measurement of the amount of fatty material in the blood. Too much of it, like too much cholesterol, raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.
smoking in youth.
The researchers followed up on all of these people, who were on average 46 years old, from 2015 to 2019. They discovered that over 800 of them had suffered a cardiovascular event (such as a heart attack or stroke), with more than 300 of them dying.
When the researchers compared the five factors' values to the results, they discovered that they were actually risk factors:
The risk of cardiovascular disease was nearly tripled in people who had higher than normal values for all of the risk variables.
The most significant risk factor was smoking, which was followed by BMI, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
It wasn't necessary to have all five variables to be at risk; for example, persons who were obese as youngsters were three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease — and those with high or near-high blood pressure were twice as likely.
None of this should come as a shock, but seeing it so clearly should serve as a wake-up call, particularly for parents.
I'm in a new sexual relationship and am surprised that I have premature ejaculation at the age of 63. My partner is accommodating, but it bothers me. What could be of assistance?
A. In older men, premature ejaculation is common, especially when starting a new relationship. Premature ejaculation can occur in men with erectile dysfunction (ED), who have difficulty getting and maintaining an erection. It's wonderful that your partner is so understanding, and it's in your best interests to be open about the problem and discuss your options together.
Premature ejaculation is defined as uncontrolled and unwanted ejaculation within a minute or less of penetration. This definition is too restrictive. Men must, of course, be realistic about their expectations for staying power. But a man should see his doctor if he keeps ejaculating before he wants to and it makes him feel bad.
However, there are two techniques that you and your partner can try right away that may be beneficial. The methods are known as "stop-start" and "stop-squeeze."
With a stop-start, you begin sexual intercourse and continue until you are close to orgasm. You stop all sexual activity until the feeling goes away, at which point you can start again.
A. In older men, premature ejaculation is common, especially when starting a new relationship. Premature ejaculation can occur in men with erectile dysfunction (ED), who have difficulty getting and maintaining an erection. It's wonderful that your partner is so understanding, and it's in your best interests to be open about the problem and discuss your options together.
Premature ejaculation is defined as uncontrolled and unwanted ejaculation within a minute or less of penetration. This definition is too restrictive. Men must, of course, be realistic about their expectations for staying power. But a man should see his doctor if he keeps ejaculating before he wants to and it makes him feel bad.
However, there are two techniques that you and your partner can try right away that may be beneficial. The methods are known as "stop-start" and "stop-squeeze."
With a stop-start, you begin sexual intercourse and continue until you are close to orgasm. You stop all sexual activity until the feeling goes away, at which point you can start again.
It might be difficult to choose the right wedding makeup look for your special day because there are so many styles, options, and beauty trends to choose from. The last thing you need on your wedding day is to be concerned about your makeup and if it will stay put, smell fresh, and look as good as it did when you first put it on. Natural makeup, focused on dewy skin and neutral eyeshadows, is great for assuring all-day wearability. A natural bridal makeup look is also ideal since it draws attention to your greatest features, ensuring that you look your best on your wedding day.
With a guide to the most stunning makeup styles accessible for every type of bride, we've compelled the latest bridal makeup and hairstyles for your viewing pleasure.
How much physical activity is required to avoid cardiac problems in your 70s?
Any amount of exercise is preferable to none. According to an observational study from Italy published online on Feb. 14, 2022, in the journal Heart, at least 20 minutes of daily physical activity may be the sweet spot for avoiding cardiovascular problems in your 70s. The study included nearly 2,800 people aged 65 and up who were followed for over 20 years. People who engaged in 20 to 40 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (such as brisk walking) or vigorous-intensity activity (such as gardening, working out in a gym, biking, dancing, or swimming) per day had fewer heart attacks and cardiovascular problems, as well as a lower risk of premature death when compared to people who were not physically active. In men, at least 20 minutes of daily exercise was associated with a 52% lower risk of cardiovascular problems when compared to non-exercisers. The greatest advantages were observed in men aged 70 to 75. Because the study was observational, it cannot conclusively demonstrate that exercise prevents heart disease. Many studies, however, have shown that moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise protects your heart and brain, helps prevent diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases, and lowers your risk of death.
Eating a nutritious diet is important for treating and preventing heart disease. That is simple to comprehend, but sometimes difficult to implement. There is no such thing as a diet regimen that fits all, but there are 9 diet types. The American Heart Association changed its dietary advice for the first time in 15 years with this in mind. Rather than specifying dos and don'ts for individual nutrients (such as protein or fat), the new circulation guidelines (published online on Nov. 2, 2021) emphasize healthy eating patterns. As long as the following guidelines are followed, you can design a heart-healthy diet around your preferences and circumstances.
1. Keep a healthy balance of calorie consumption and physical activity.
Weight gain is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and eating more calories than you expend results in weight gain. Consult a dietitian to determine the number of calories you should consume based on your level of activity. It may just take a few minor adjustments to your diet to ensure that the calories you eat equal the calories you burn during activity. Perhaps you need to cut back on fast food in order to make room for healthy foods. Or perhaps your portions are overly large. For instance, a salad may contain a cup of beans when a quarter-cup would serve.
The majority of people desire to be energetic and to feel alive. Dr. John Travis developed a wellness spectrum in the 1970s, with illness on one end, a point of neutrality in the middle (when a person shows no signs or symptoms of disease), and wellness on the other.
Wellness refers to a condition of health and well-being that extends beyond the absence of illness. People in this state are confident, open to new challenges, curious, and eager to take action. They're doing well. Wellness seekers might want to climb a mountain, read a new book, learn to play a new instrument, or actively interact with new people.
Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer are among the most common health problems that people face today. People who are suffering from these (and other) ailments are on the disease side of the spectrum. Smoking, alcohol substance use disorders, a lack of exercise, sleep deprivation, and a diet high in processed foods, sugar, saturated fat, and artificial flavours are all risk factors for developing these disorders. Another factor that can put you at risk for these disorders is your weight, especially if you carry additional weight around your waist.
Prostate cancer can spread over time, and if a man's tumor has characteristics that indicate slow growth, he can choose active surveillance over immediate treatment. Men on active surveillance receive routine PSA blood tests and prostate biopsies and are only treated if cancer progresses or shows signs of increasing activity. However, when it comes to treatment, up to one-third of men opt-out. A new study has found that some of these men can safely put off treatment for a while.
The University of California, San Francisco researchers identified 531 men whose cancers progressed while they were under active surveillance. All of the men were initially diagnosed with Grade Group 1 prostate cancer, the lowest rung on a classification system that ranks cancers from low to high risk of aggressive spread. The biopsies of the men's tumors showed that they had moved into higher-risk grade groups, which are usually treated within an average of 25 months.
Within six months of their tumour upgrade, 192 men underwent prostate removal surgery. However, 125 men waited up to five years before having the operation, and 214 men chose not to be treated at all.
Keeping overly processed foods out of your diet is an important step toward avoiding chronic inflammation—the persistent activation of the immune system—and the many chronic diseases that are linked to inflammation. Avoidance becomes difficult, however, when you consider what constitutes processed food. After all, some processing is beneficial to one's health.
Some processing, when done correctly, can preserve the nutritional value of foods or make them more available—for example, during the winter, when we don't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Pasteurized milk, for example, kills harmful germs during the processing process. And processes like fermentation can sometimes make foods like yoghurt more nutritious.
So, when is processing bad for you, and which processed foods should you avoid? Here's what you should know.
What does "processed foods" mean?
Foods that have been changed from their original form are called "processed foods." It's possible that they've just been chopped and frozen, like vegetables, or that parts that can't be eaten have been taken away, as the shells of nuts. This kind of change requires the least amount of processing.
At the next level, a few extra things are added to processed foods. Some examples of these foods are crackers with just wheat, oil, and salt; freshly baked bread; and canned vegetables that are packed in water and salt.
"Ultra-processed" foods are those that have been processed even more. Ultra-processing usually means that you can't tell what the original food was, and it has things like preservatives, oil, sugar, salt, colouring, and flavouring added to it. This is what we call "junk food."
Hot dogs and deli meat are two examples of ultra-processed foods. Other examples are cheese puffs, doughnuts, frozen pizza, white bread, cookies, microwaveable dinners, and soda.
Dangers posed by processed meatProcessed meats are among the unhealthiest foods available. Examples include bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs, salami, and deli meat (such as deli roast beef or turkey). These foods have a lot of sodium, unhealthy saturated fat, nitrates and nitrites, and other chemical additives like colouring, flavouring, and preservatives.
Reduced carbohydrate intake may improve several cardiovascular risk factors, but additional research is needed.
When many people envision a low-carbohydrate diet, they envision dishes heaped with red meat, bacon, and butter. Low-carbohydrate diets, which are frequently high in saturated fat, have long been considered bad for the heart. However, a study published online on Sept. 28, 2021, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, discovered that a small amount of saturated fat may be OK if the rest of the diet is healthy.
The researchers discovered that following a well-designed low-carbohydrate diet plan appeared to minimize several risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This is despite the fact that saturated fat made up 21% of daily calories, which is more than double the amount of fat you should eat each day.
However, this does not mean you should remove all of the bread from your meal. It is premature to declare that a low-carbohydrate diet is actually heart-healthy. One cause for concern is that the researchers picked an unusually low-carbohydrate diet. "This was not a bacon and steak diet. This included nuts and lentils, vegetarian sloppy joes, salmon, and a variety of vegetables.
Do you like avocados? One a week may help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Avocados have creamy, pale green flesh that is packed with nutrients that are linked to heart health. Long-term study shows that people who eat at least two servings of this fruit a week are less likely to get heart disease.
Dr. Frank Hu, the co-author of the study and Frederick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), puts the findings in context. "This study adds to the evidence that healthy fat sources such as avocados can help avoid cardiovascular disease," he says. He adds that substituting avocados for less-healthy foods like butter, cheese, and processed meats is a significant take-home lesson.
Who was in the research group?
More than 110,000 people were included in the study, which was based on two long-running Harvard studies: the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The majority of the participants were Caucasian, with ages ranging from 30 to 75, and no history of heart disease or cancer at the start of the trial.
The diets of the participants were examined by researchers using questionnaires given at the start of the trial and again every four years. In one question, people were asked how much and how often they ate avocados. Half an avocado or one-half cup diced was considered a serving
What were the findings?
Researchers discovered 9,185 heart attacks and 5,290 strokes among the patients during the course of the 30-year study. Those who consumed at least two avocados per week had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of having a heart attack or other coronary artery disease-related condition than those who never or rarely consumed avocados. (Coronary artery disease is the most frequent type of cardiovascular disease, and it refers to a narrowing or blockage in the blood vessels that supply the heart.)
Dr. Frank Hu, the co-author of the study and Frederick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), puts the findings in context. "This study adds to the evidence that healthy fat sources such as avocados can help avoid cardiovascular disease," he says. He adds that substituting avocados for less-healthy foods like butter, cheese, and processed meats is a significant take-home lesson.
Who was in the research group?
More than 110,000 people were included in the study, which was based on two long-running Harvard studies: the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The majority of the participants were Caucasian, with ages ranging from 30 to 75, and no history of heart disease or cancer at the start of the trial.
The diets of the participants were examined by researchers using questionnaires given at the start of the trial and again every four years. In one question, people were asked how much and how often they ate avocados. Half an avocado or one-half cup diced was considered a serving
What were the findings?
Researchers discovered 9,185 heart attacks and 5,290 strokes among the patients during the course of the 30-year study. Those who consumed at least two avocados per week had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of having a heart attack or other coronary artery disease-related condition than those who never or rarely consumed avocados. (Coronary artery disease is the most frequent type of cardiovascular disease, and it refers to a narrowing or blockage in the blood vessels that supply the heart.)
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