This past weekend, two veteran law enforcement officers suffered fatal heart attacks while running the Los Angeles Marathon. They demonstrate the three to four-fold increase in risk of sudden cardiac death in men compared to women. An estimated 6% to 17% of all sudden cardiac deaths in men occur during extreme exertion.
Not only are women less susceptible to heart attacks due to sudden heavy exertion, regular moderate to vigorous exercise for four or more hours a week actually reduce their risk of sudden cardiac deaths by almost 60%. Women who exercise regularly also have a much lower …read more

One of the frustrating things about studying heart disease is the lack of consistent data regarding risk factors. In two recent studies presented at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting, lower levels of homocysteine did NOT appear to decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke. These findings contradict the study I presented last week.
Paul Taylor of The Globe and Mail reports:
In both trials, those who took the real vitamins [a daily mix of folic acid, plus B6 and B12] experienced a dramatic reduction in homocysteine levels. However, they were no less likely to die of a heart …read more