Are you doomed to heart disease? As the leading cause of death in men, forgives you think. But it is absurd. Science has almost secured strategies not only to treat heart conditions, but to avoid these problems in the first place. And research discovers something new every day about what is already known. Our advice: she is knowledgeable. Sixty percent of young adults who have done it, eat well, exercise, control their body mass index (BMI), non-smoking and drinking little risk remained low until middle age, according to a study by the Northwestern University, in the United States. Of the people who ignored these recommendations, less than five percent managed to stay in this category. "Your environment and your decisions have a greater influence on the genetic risk factor," says the doctor Donald Lloyd-Jones, author of the study and chairman of the department of preventive medicine. "This applies even from decisions made in your youth and your passage to adulthood." We take the pulse of the latest research to see which of their new approaches bring more improvement in your cardiovascular health. Follow the advice of our experts and be part of this clan of "low risk".Starting point: calculate your risk
In the past century, researchers tried to predict heart disease by manipulating key figures. Clinical Criteria of Framingham (CCF), an algorithm for age, blood pressure and cholesterol among others-is still a widely used model prediction. "If you know your basic numbers, you can run an estimated staff online and take it to your doctor," says Dr. Michael Steinman, also an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco.
New Rule: extends the equation. Recent research suggests that the CCF has its limitations: it does not consider family history, lifestyle and BMI. And according to research published in BMC Medicine, approximately one third of heart disease occur in people at low risk rated by common prediction models. Moreover, beware the Framingham model you use. There is a version based complex and other simple equations based on points. In a 2010 study, Dr. Steinman and his colleagues discovered that the second version is less accurate: classified 17 percent of men in categories of treatments, which differed from those in which they would have done had they taken based version equations. "For one who is at a breaking point, this can make the difference in how aggressive it is to treat," says Steinman.
Starting point: Interval training
Swimming, running, cycling, all are great for your heart. And add periods pumping effort into your cardio routine (interval training, which reach 90 percent of your maximum heart rate), improves the efficiency of your heart. "You make cellular mitochondria work and adapt to a higher level," says Dr. Conrad Earnest, director of exercise biology of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. Intervals boost blood volume per beat both its efficiency, as measured by maximum oxygen consumption or VO2 max. The impact is huge: after training with intervals, participants in a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine saw an average improvement of 23 percent in stroke volume and 17 percent of VO2 max.
New rule: Throw the weight too. A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, lifting weights can increase the circulation in your extremities, which lightens the load on the heart. The study also found that the decrease in your blood pressure after exercise, tends to be more durable with weights to aerobic exercise. Test circuit training with weights, alternating muscle groups with minimal rest in between.
Starting point: vs cholesterol. fiber
Oats and barley are good sources of soluble fiber, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol. Beta-glucan from oats and barley achieve this by preventing its absorption into the bloodstream.
New Rule: Add tomatoes. Pour yourself a glass of tomato juice daily, is rich in lycopene, a nutrient that can cut your body's production of LDL cholesterol. According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition, people who took ½ cup tomato juice and two tablespoons of ketchup every day for three weeks achieved an average reduction of 8.5 percent in their LDL levels in the blood.
Starting point: stress monitors
You work 60 hours a week can send you to the emergency room. In a study in the journal Stress, researchers measured levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in hair samples from 56 men hospitalized for heart attacks and other 56 other conditions. By three months prior to testing, the levels were infarction victims third highest to the control group. "It's a world of high stress," says Dr. John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "People are willing to take it like never before."
New rule: avoid sadness. Stress can kill you, but also depression. After studying twins with genetic predisposition to depression and heart disease, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis concluded that depression-past or present-raises the risk of heart disease than environmental or genetic factors. "The biggest risk may come from inflammation caused by certain mental health problems," says the doctor Prediman K. Shah of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Starting point: Become a blood test
Who is at risk for heart disease, statins reduce 30 percent chance of heart attack, according to the British Medical Journal. The trick is knowing when to start them. Many doctors use a blood test that measures C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker essential for making the final decision. Your body produces more PCR when there is inflammation, which can be caused by the accumulation of cholesterol in your arteries.
New Rule: Become an exploration computed. A 2010 study shows that its authorship, if you're in your limits and have a high LDL PCR, consider, well, "another" confirmation: a computed tomography (CT). This test can diagnose arteriosclerosis remove doubts, allowing your doctor to see firsthand whether arterial constriction is a problem. The study concludes that many patients on statin prescribing because of its high PCR, could not having needed after all.
What does your heart?
Learn to play the occasional telegrams heart.
Sharp chest pain should not be ignored, not necessarily pro is a heart attack. Could be pericarditis, an inflammation of the outer layer of the heart. "Pericarditis not require immediate care," says Dr. Mehdi Razavi, a cardiologist at Texas Heart Institute. But always check with your doctor.
Pressure worsens with effort angina is probably caused by blocked blood mo-sidered, says Dr. Razavi. Beta blockers can lower your heart rate and reduce its need for oxygen to help prevent angina. Angioplasty may also be required to treat the blockage.
Jaw Pain This is a less common sign of heart attack. "There are cases of people who were horrible dentist when they actually had a heart attack," says Dr. Razavi. Although it may well be your jaw joint inflamed, have an emergency doctor you check, just to be absolutely sure.
This sudden intense pressure can be a complete heart attack. Angina differs from the pressure that is significantly more intense feeling according Razavi. And usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as sweating and nausea. Calls for an ambulance as soon as possible.
