A Mediterranean Lifestyle

Having a Mediterranean lifestyle — even if you don't live in the Mediterranean — could reduce your chances of dying, including from cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

The Mediterranean diet has long been lauded as the "gold standard" of healthy eating. It emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and legumes, as well as wine in moderation, and minimal amounts of red meat, highly processed and fried foods, refined grains, sugar, and saturated fat.

A Mediterranean lifestyle is more than just the diet, though. It involves eating with loved ones and taking the time to savor food, resting and sleeping enough, maintaining strong social connections, and exercising regularly, according to the authors of the study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Researchers found that adults in the UK who lived a Mediterranean lifestyle had a 29% lower risk of dying from any cause, and a 28% lower risk of dying from cancer, than those who didn't. People who adhered to the lifestyle's emphasis on rest, exercise, and socializing with friends in particular had a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.     READ MORE...

Most Common Symptoms of Cardiovascular Diseases

New report outlines the most common symptoms of 6 cardiovascular diseases: heart attack, 

heart failure, valve disease, stroke, heart rhythm disorders, and peripheral artery and vein 

disease (PAD and PVD).

New American Heart Association scientific statement indicates symptoms frequently overlap among conditions and may vary by sex.

• A “state of the science” review details the most reported symptoms of 6 cardiovascular diseases (CVDs): heart attack, heart failure, valve disease, stroke, heart rhythm disorders, and peripheral artery and vein disease (PAD and PVD).
• There are important differences in symptoms between women and men.
• Depression, common across many CVDs, may influence a person’s ability to detect changes in symptoms.
• Effective methods of monitoring and measuring symptoms over time are critical to manage cardiovascular disease well and prevent or delay its progression.

A review of the latest research highlights the most reported symptoms of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), noting that men and women often experience different symptoms. This is according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today (August 18, 2022) in the Association’s flagship peer-reviewed journal, Circulation.

The statement also highlights how symptoms are experienced over time, which may be months or years apart depending on the condition, and on a spectrum of severity or intensity, noting the long-term nature of cardiovascular disease development. The scientific statement writing committee reviewed current research on the symptoms of different cardiovascular diseases. They found that symptoms vary over time and by sex.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and around the world. It comprises several conditions, including 6 reviewed in this scientific statement: heart attack, heart failure, valve disease, stroke, heart rhythm disorders, and peripheral artery and vein disease.  READ MORE...