Latest news with #Life'sEssential8
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
These 4 habits are key to heart health in middle-aged women, study reveals
As women enter their late 40s and early 50s, the transition through menopause brings more than just the end of menstrual cycles. It triggers a cascade of physiological changes that significantly impact cardiovascular health. From increased belly fat and hormonal fluctuations to higher risks of inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and vascular stiffening, this phase of life poses a critical turning point for heart health. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh, cited by the New York Post, sheds light on the most impactful habits that can help reduce cardiovascular risk. Analyzing data from nearly 3,000 women, researchers found that four specific behaviors — sleep, blood pressure, blood glucose, and smoking — had the greatest long-term impact on heart disease outcomes. 4 habits every woman should track to protect her heart 1. Sleep quality: a nightly reset for your heart Poor sleep isn't just tiring, it can be dangerous for your heart. According to the New York Post, the study emphasized that sleep disruptions during menopause are common and can worsen cardiovascular markers. Hormonal shifts affect circadian rhythms, leading to insomnia and fragmented rest. This, in turn, increases cortisol levels and insulin resistance, both of which contribute to heart disease. The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) includes sleep as a vital metric for this reason. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Park Crescent at Alembic City, Vadodara – Luxury Homes from ₹2.20 Cr* Onwards Alembic City West Learn More Undo Researchers found that better sleep directly correlated with healthier blood pressure and glucose levels, two other key metrics for heart protection. 'Sleep can suffer with the symptoms of menopause,' said study co-author Samar R. El Khoudary, as quoted in Medical News Today. 'This has implications for heart health we can't ignore.' 2. Blood pressure: the silent strain on your arteries As estrogen declines during menopause, women become more vulnerable to elevated blood pressure. The New York Post reported that the study found significant arterial thickening and stiffness in women entering their 50s, a change often undetected until damage is already underway. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as the "silent killer" because it typically shows no symptoms until it's too late. Yet, it's one of the most modifiable risk factors. Lifestyle changes like reducing salt, managing stress, and exercising regularly can help control it. 'There's a change in vascular health, with increasing thickness and stiffness in the carotid artery,' El Khoudary noted. 3. Blood glucose: the hidden predictor of heart risk Even without a diabetes diagnosis, elevated blood sugar levels in middle age are a serious warning sign. According to the study referenced by the New York Post, blood glucose control was among the strongest indicators of future cardiovascular trouble in menopausal women. Insulin resistance tends to rise during this period due to hormonal and metabolic shifts, increasing the likelihood of plaque buildup in the arteries. Experts advise limiting processed sugar, maintaining a balanced diet rich in fiber and healthy fats, and staying active to manage blood glucose levels effectively. Regular screening is also vital, as many cases of prediabetes go unnoticed until complications arise. 4. Smoking: the most avoidable threat to the heart Despite decades of public health warnings, tobacco use remains one of the most damaging and preventable contributors to heart disease. The New York Post noted that smoking was one of the four top predictors of heart problems later in life, especially in postmenopausal women. Nicotine and carbon monoxide not only increase heart rate and blood pressure but also damage the lining of blood vessels, accelerating atherosclerosis. The benefits of quitting are immediate and profound. Just one year after quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease drops by 50 percent. Combined with improvements in sleep, blood sugar, and blood pressure, stopping smoking creates a compounding protective effect for the cardiovascular system. A call to action: know your numbers, take control 'Nearly 45 percent of women over 20 are living with some form of cardiovascular disease,' cardiologist Dr. Stacey Rosen told Fox News Digital, underscoring the need for early and proactive care. Yet, the good news is that most heart disease is preventable through informed lifestyle choices. Doctors recommend regular monitoring of cholesterol, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and blood sugar, all modifiable factors. The New York Post emphasizes the value of following the LE8 framework, which includes maintaining a healthy diet, exercising 150 minutes per week, and avoiding tobacco use. Your midlife years are not just about managing symptoms. They are a crucial window to strengthen your heart for the decades ahead.
New York Post
20-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
These 4 habits in middle age have the ‘greatest impact' on your heart health: study
Menopause may end a woman's monthly cycle, but it can also trigger a slew of unpleasant health risks, from sleep disorders and depression to metabolic syndrome, inflammation and heart disease. 'In the late 40s, around the time of the menopause transition, women undergo many significant changes in their cardiovascular health,' Samar R. El Khoudary, professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, told Medical News Today. 'There's an increase in visceral fat, which we know has implications for heart health. There is an increase in risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of three out of five factors including waist circumference, glucose, triglycerides, HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and blood pressure. Advertisement 3 A new study shows only one in five menopausal women have ideal scores on the American Heart Association's health-assessment tool Life's Essential 8 (LE8). Wesley/ – 'There's a change in vascular health, with increasing thickness and stiffness in the carotid artery. And with the symptoms of menopause, sleep can suffer, as well.' Worse yet, El Khoudary and her team recently learned only one in five menopausal women have ideal scores on the American Heart Association's health-assessment tool Life's Essential 8 (LE8) — and four of the factors can have a huge impact on heart health. Advertisement The LE8 tracks eight key health metrics: physical activity, cholesterol, diet, sleep, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and tobacco use. Researchers analyzed the health data of about 3,000 women to find that four of these factors — sleep, blood pressure, blood glucose and smoking — are the heaviest hitters in predicting heart problems later down the road. 'This finding is important because it highlights key areas … that may have the greatest impact on future heart health for women,' El Khoudary said. 3 The LE8 tracks eight key health metrics: physical activity, cholesterol, diet, sleep, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and tobacco use. InsideCreativeHouse – Advertisement 'However, our study did not test whether targeting these specifically leads to better outcomes than focusing on other factors. This is an important question for future clinical trials to explore.' Unfortunately, these findings indicate that women, especially those in the menopause stage, need to adopt healthier habits in order to keep their ticker happy — although of course that's easier said than done. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, according to Northwell Health cardiologist and American Heart Association volunteer medical expert Dr. Stacey Rosen, who is based in New York. Advertisement Nearly 45% of women over 20 years old are actually living with some form of CVD, Rosen told Fox News Digital. 3 Researchers analyzed the health data of about 3,000 women to find that four of these factors — sleep, blood pressure, blood glucose and smoking — are the heaviest hitters in predicting heart problems later down the road. bertys30 – And some of the classic symptoms — such as pain radiating down from the left arm — might not necessarily occur in women, who might instead experience extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and indigestion. Jaw, neck and back pain are also symptoms that are easy to dismiss. The good news is that the majority of CVD is preventable through lifestyle changes, heightened awareness and education, Rosen said — which means that 'your heart health is in your hands.' 'Know your numbers — cholesterol, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar — as all are important risk factors that can be modified,' she said. Additionally, experts recommend eating a diet that is high in fiber and antioxidants, shooting for getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and quitting smoking.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Transform your health from head to toe following these guidelines, study suggests
Better health for your whole body can be broken down into just seven factors, according to a new study. Life's Simple 7 is the American Heart Association's guidelines for achieving and maintaining ideal cardiovascular health. The factors include not smoking, a nutritious diet, regular exercise, a healthy weight, optimal blood pressure, controlled blood sugar and well-managed cholesterol. Researchers reviewed 483 studies on the impacts of maximizing Life's Simple 7 on the health of many different body systems over the course of people's lives in a meta-analysis published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Maintaining ideal levels of at least three of Life's Simple 7 metrics was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, even if someone had a genetic predisposition, according to the data. And better scores across all of the factors showed benefits in many body systems beyond cardiovascular health. 'A few years ago, we learned that heart health and brain health are very closely tied. Through this review, we found that almost every organ system and bodily function also benefits from maintaining the healthy lifestyle behaviors of Life's Simple 7,' said lead study author Dr. Liliana Aguayo, a research assistant professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and the Global Diabetes Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta, in a statement. 'We were pleasantly surprised to find that Life's Simple 7 at optimal levels touched every aspect of health, from head to toe. It goes well beyond just cardiovascular health to encompass whole-body health,' she added. The researchers conducted a systemic review of studies that followed a gold standard approach, said Dr. Nour Makarem, assistant professor of epidemiology and co-leader of the Chronic Disease Unit at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. Makarem was not involved in the research. One of the most significant findings of the research is that a little change makes a big difference when it comes to lifestyle and health, Aguayo said. The study assessed adherence to Life's Simple 7 using a scale from 0 to 14 points. Each improvement by 1 point was associated with an 11% decrease in dementia risk, a 6% decreased risk of eye disease, a 23% decreased risk of fatty liver disease, and an 11% decreased risk of chronic kidney disease, Aguayo said. 'This means that small changes, for example, moving from obesity to overweight, adding any physical activity even if below recommended levels counted as progress,' she said. Many of the studies showed an adherence to Life's Simple 7 was associated with maintaining brain and lung function, vision and hearing, and teeth and muscle strength over the course of aging, according to the data. The studies included in the meta-analysis used Life's Simple 7 to evaluate lifestyle behaviors, but the AHA has since updated the metrics to Life's Essential 8. The new guidelines are more comprehensive, such as including avoiding secondhand smoke, vaping and nicotine products in the not smoking factor and pointing people to the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet under the healthy eating metric, Makarem said. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; high blood pressure is a major contributor to heart disease and stroke. Importantly, the update added an eighth metric that recognizes the role of sleep in long-term health, he added. Good sleep means seven to nine hours a night for most adults, 10 to 16 hours for children ages 5 and younger, 9 to 12 hours for kids ages 6 to 12, and 8 to 10 hours for adolescents ages 13 to 18, according to the AHA. The study confirms that adopting a healthy lifestyle is important to achieve optimal health as well as managing the conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease –– weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, Aguayo said. Everyday lifestyle choices have a big impact on overall health, and it's worth it to take steps toward better cardiovascular health, Aguayo said. 'The key message is that it is never too early or too late to make small, feasible changes,' she said in an email. 'Small improvements in diet, physical activity, smoking, or managing risk factors (weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar) can have meaningful benefits, not just for heart health, but for all the body, from head to toe.' For a heart-healthy diet, Makarem recommends focusing on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and consuming lean proteins such as fish. She also recommended limiting processed foods, sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages. Adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity — like walking, dancing or gardening — or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, Makarem added. Even considering how impactful small changes can be, ideal cardiovascular health is very rare –– with less than 4% of people worldwide meeting the criteria, Aguayo said. 'We must do more to support young people, especially women, by making it easier, more affordable, and achievable for all to improve their cardiovascular health,' she added. 'Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer of women. Supporting the heart health of young people and women is both cost-effective and the right thing to do.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Adults with heart-healthy metrics had better health from head to toe
Research Highlights: Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Wednesday, July 16, 2025 ( NewMediaWire ) - July 16, 2025 - DALLAS — People who had more heart-healthy habits and factors, as assessed by the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7(TM) metrics for ideal cardiovascular health, had more positive benefits for whole body health, according to a review of research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Life's Simple 7 was launched by the American Heart Association in 2010 to define and quantify the spectrum of heart health based on seven lifestyle and health measures: not smoking, healthy nutrition, regular physical activity, healthy weight and normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. In 2022, the metrics were refined to include sufficient sleep and more detailed scoring. The updated cardiovascular health metric is now called Life's Essential 8(TM). While the cardiovascular benefits of optimal cardiovascular health in terms of Life's Simple 7 were already well-established, this is the first systematic review that examines the benefits to organs beyond the heart and death from cardiovascular disease and other causes, according to study authors. 'A few years ago, we learned that heart health and brain health are very closely tied. Through this review, we found that almost every organ system and bodily function also benefits from maintaining the healthy lifestyle behaviors of Life's Simple 7,' said lead study author Liliana Aguayo, Ph.D., M.P.H., a research assistant professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and the Global Diabetes Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta. 'We were pleasantly surprised to find that Life's Simple 7 at optimal levels touched every aspect of health, from head to toe. It goes well beyond just cardiovascular health to encompass whole-body health.' Researchers reviewed nearly 500 research studies published in the decade after Life's Simple 7 was introduced that had incorporated at least three of Life's Simple 7 measures. Ideal cardiovascular health was defined as having six or seven of the metrics at high levels. Among the findings: 'These findings confirm that healthy lifestyle metrics — eating well, exercising and not smoking — are key components to optimal health, in addition to maintaining healthy weight, normal blood pressure, and cholesterol blood sugar levels, which are the conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease,' Aguayo said. 'The ideal cardiovascular health metrics in Life's Simple 7 and now Life's Essential 8 are based on extensive scientific research that recognizes the majority of heart disease and stroke can be prevented,' said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and senior vice president of women's health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women's Health of Northwell Health in New York City. 'The findings in this review study indicate that these healthy lifestyle metrics are also a path to improving health and well-being across the board, from head to toe. Preventing cardiovascular disease and reducing cardiovascular disease risk, the centerpieces for Life's Essential 8, are the core of the American Heart Association's mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.' The review findings are limited due to the scoring system of Life's Simple 7, which rates each category broadly as ideal, intermediate or poor and is less precise than is now possible under the methods of Life's Essential 8, according to Aguayo. Because this study relies on published literature, it may under-represent studies with negative or inconclusive findings, researchers said. The investigators called for more research especially among children, pregnant women and populations in less-studied areas of the world. Also, more research is needed on both the benefits of even small improvements in these health metrics and the mechanisms that are pathways between Life's Simple 7 or Life's Essential 8 and better health. Study details, background and design: This review was partially funded by a Strategically Focused Research Network grant from the American Heart Association as well as a grant from the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the American Heart Association. Co-authors and disclosures are listed in the manuscript. Studies published in the American Heart Association's scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content. Overall financial information is available here. Additional Resources: ### About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173 Staff contact: [email protected] For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) and
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How having a sleepy teen could save your kid from a future heart attack
For parents with a sleepy teenager, less variable sleep patterns could be a sign of a healthier future for their child. Teens who had better sleep habits at age 15 were found to have improved heart health seven years later, researchers at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine said on Monday. The healthy sleep habits include falling asleep and waking up earlier, spending a lower percentage of time in bed awake, and having lower variability in total sleep time and sleep onset. Average total sleep time did not predict future cardiovascular health. In teens, cardiac incidents are rare, but they can occur. Approximately 2,000 young and seemingly healthy people under the age of 25 die each year of sudden cardiac arrest, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart attacks in people under 40 have been increasing over the past decade, the Cleveland Clinic notes. 'Given the importance of sleep health for physical health and well-being in the short-term, we were not surprised to see a lasting association between adolescent sleep timing, sleep maintenance efficiency, and sleep variability with cardiovascular health in young adulthood,' Dr. Gina Marie Mathew, a senior post-doctoral associate in public health at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine, explained in a statement. 'It was unexpected, however, that with and without adjustment for potentially confounding factors, total sleep time during adolescence was not a significant predictor of cardiovascular health during young adulthood,' she added. 'This single null finding, of course, does not indicate that total sleep time is unimportant. Rather, when paired with other studies, these findings underscore the complexity of sleep health and the need to consider multiple sleep dimensions as potential targets for promoting and maintaining cardiovascular health.' Mathew was the lead data analyst and author of the National Institutes of Health-backed research that was presented on Sunday at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting. To reach these conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from Princeton and Columbia University's Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study: the longest-running and only contemporary U.S. birth cohort study of young adults based on a national sample. Their data included 307 adults, the majority of whom were girls. At age 15, participants wore a device on their wrist for a week to measure sleep variables. At age 22, their cardiovascular health was assessed using their diet, physical activity, exposure to nicotine, body mass index, and measurements of fats in the blood, blood sugar, and blood pressure. They were scored based on these factors using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8. Teens between the ages of 13 and 18 years old should sleep eight to 10 hours regularly to promote optimal health, the academy said. Getting the recommended number of hours is associated with improved attention, behavior, memory, mental and physical health, and other positive outcomes. However, Mathew pointed out that the results highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to address the relationship between adolescent sleep health and cardiovascular health. 'Future research and recommendations should emphasize the importance of multiple dimensions of sleep health, including earlier sleep timing, higher sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower sleep variability as protective factors for long-term heart health,' she said.
