Study Says Five Healthy Habits Cut Heart Risk in Half

Seniors who follow five simple healthy behaviors could cut their risk of heart failure in half, according to a large, multi-year study recently published in JACC: Heart Failure.

Adults who walked briskly, were moderately active in their leisure time, drank moderately, didn't smoke and avoided obesity had half the risk of heart failure as adults who did not optimize these modifiable risk factors, according to this study that followed nearly 4,500 adults for two decades. 

 

Heart failure, a condition where the heart fails to pump as much blood as the body needs, is reportedly increasing in frequency in the United States and a leading cause of hospitalization for people over age 65.

Liana C. Del Gobbo, Ph.D., from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, led this study’s team of researchers who followed 4,490 men and women age 65 and older who didn't initially have signs of heart failure for up to 21.5 years. 

Researchers tracked their diet, walking habits, leisure activity, exercise intensity, alcohol use, smoking status, weight, height, waist circumference and heart health through questionnaires and physical exams throughout the study period. During the study, 1,380 heart failure cases occurred.

Researchers found that adults who walked at a pace of at least 2 miles per hour had a lower risk of developing heart failure. Reduced rates of heart failure were also associated with participating in leisure activities that burned more than 845 or more calories a week, not smoking, modest alcohol intake (not more than 1-2 drinks/day), and avoiding obesity. 

To learn more about the research, visit http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2015/07/06/14/17/lifestyle-factors-associated-with-less-heart-failure-after-65?w_nav=TI.  

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Research: Cognitive Impairment Could Lead to Alzheimer’s

Almost two-thirds of American senior citizens with Alzheimer’s disease are women, according to research.

As women enter these ranks, their chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease are reportedly much greater than that for men. And women with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a typical condition of Alzheimer’s disease, have been found to decline in cognition two times faster than men with MCI, according to research reported at the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

MCI typically involves a slight but noticeable and measurable decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and thinking skills, but the changes are not yet severe enough to interfere with daily life or independent function.

With this information, researchers from the Center for Brain Health at The University of Texas at Dallas are attempting to identify a potential biomarker that could offer a more complete picture of who is most at risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

To learn more about the MCI study, visit http://www.brainhealth.utdallas.edu/news_page/affordable-non-invasive-test-may-detect-who-is-most-at-risk-for-alzhei. 

Each Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise office is independently owned and operated.