Blisstree » heart+attack

Sudden Heart Attacks Less Likely in Women

Lei — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 13:58:08 +0000

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 risk of sudden cardiac death if they over-exerted themselves unexpectedly.

So get out there and kick it!

MedPage Today, March 21, 2006

Post from: Blisstree

Sudden Heart Attacks Less Likely in Women

Homocysteine and Heart Attacks

Lei — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 13:25:43 +0000

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 attack or stroke than those who got placebos.

So what to do? Personally, I’d continue popping a daily multi-vitamin, but lay off excessive doses of any one vitamin.

Post from: Blisstree

Homocysteine and Heart Attacks