Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Following a plant-based eating pattern and cutting back on highly processed foods can help promote a more diverse, healthier microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome may decrease inflammation that promotes heart disease. Most fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are good sources of prebiotic fiber, which is broken down by gut bacteria to create short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are linked to lower inflammation and reductions in other heart disease risk factors.

Loneliness represents an underappreciated health crisis in the United States and is linked to a 29% higher risk of heart attack and a 32% higher risk of stroke. The underlying mechanism is thought to be similar to what happens when people feel depressed or stressed. Reconnecting with old friends can help short up social skills. To find new friends, people might look online or at their local library for classes, in-person clubs, or volunteer opportunities that match their interests.

As many as 60% of heart attacks go unnoticed when they occur. So-called silent heart attacks occur for a variety of reasons, including differences in pain perception and people not recognizing symptoms or dismissing them. People may assume heart attack symptoms are limited to the chest, but nerves in the heart can send signals to the surrounding nerves, causing pain that radiates to the stomach, back, neck, arm, or jaw. Sometimes people assume their chest pain is caused by a respiratory infection or heartburn when they’re actually having a heart attack.

People who get most of their recommended weekly physical activity over one or two days may lower their heart disease risk just as much as those who are active more regularly throughout the week. Evidence also suggests there’s no particular benefit to exercising at certain times of the day, including with respect to mealtimes. So people should be physically active whenever they find it to be most convenient.

Too much saturated fat tends to raise levels of harmful LDL cholesterol, but limited amounts are not a problem. Eating mostly whole or minimally processed foods can help achieve that goal.

A 2023 study found that most people who are hospitalized for heart failure aren’t being referred for cardiac rehabilitation. The rehab is a recommended, medically supervised three-month program (covered by Medicare) that significantly lengthens life.

Eating two peeled kiwifruits per day may help ease constipation, according to a small randomized trial published in 2023. The effectiveness of eating kiwifruits was slightly greater than that of using a daily fiber supplement such as Metamucil or Fiberall.

Some medical alert systems now have advanced technology that integrates monitoring services with a smartphone, smart watch, or smart speaker. The services aren’t cheap. They range from $20 to $50 per month, depending on the company and any additional services (such as fall detection). There may also be fees for activation and equipment (up to a few hundred dollars). The alternative is getting an alert system that isn’t monitored, such as free “panic button” apps for smartphones or a smart watch that can notify relatives in an emergency.

People’s energy levels typically decrease later in life as a result of aging, illness, or other factors. Fortunately, a healthier lifestyle can boost energy. That involves eating a diet low in added sugars and processed foods, getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night, managing stress, getting lots of aerobic exercise, and strengthening the muscles. Using physical energy frugally is another useful strategy. For example, it helps to perform activities at a slow, steady pace instead of a fast pace; to break activities into small tasks instead of one large job; and to rest between tasks.

A 2023 Harvard study found that regularly squeezing a week’s worth of exercise (150 minutes) into just one or two days—a “weekend warrior” approach—is linked to the same heart-healthy benefits as daily exercise.