Children with heart disease may be increasingly overweight

According to a new study, Children with inborn heart disease are more overweight than similar children a generation ago, raising their risk of heart attack and heart disease as adults. In these children have a higher body mass index and a heavier left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart, according to a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center study. A heavier left ventricle is a known risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Dr. David Crowley said,” Those who had surgical measures as children to fix common congenital heart defects and are overweight or obese may be at increased risk. Because anytime the heart is stopped for open heart surgery and put on cardiopulmonary bypass, it is negatively affected.

It is necessary that overweight kids lose weight, especially those who have been on bypass, and it is essential that more studies be done to address the impact of the obesity epidemic on the long-term outcome and cardiovascular health of children with congenital heart diseases.

Prevention Guidelines of Heart Disease

As you plan to take steps to prevent or lower your risk of heart disease, there are some important numbers you need to keep in mind. We all know we need to exercise and observe our blood pressure, cholesterol and weight to keep our heart and cardiovascular system healthy. But expressive your target numbers provides a concrete way of monitoring your progress towards that vital goal.

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have put out heart disease prevention guidelines, which were co-published in the Circulation Journal as well as the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Here is a summary of the guidelines:

Blood Pressure :

• Less than 130/80 mm Hg if you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease
• Less than 140/90 mm Hg.

Blood Cholesterol :

• LDL (Low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol) of less than 100 mg/dL
• Reduce intake of soaked fats, trans fats and cholesterol and add plant sterols and soluble fiber to diet,take omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsule form.

Physical Activity :

• 30 minutes a day, 5-7 days a week.
• Conflict training 2 days a week.

Weight :

• BMI (Body mass index) measure of body fat based on height and weight of 18.5 to 24.
•  Waist limits of less than 40 inches for men; less than 35 inches for women
  Diabetes.
• HbA1C (measure of glycated hemoglobin in the blood) of less than 7 percent.

Smoking :

• Zero revelation to first-hand or second hand smoke

Healthy Tips: Avoid Secondhand Smoke

People who don't smoke but inhale secondhand smoke are expose to the same harmful chemicals as smokers, the American Cancer Society warns.
The Cancer society says secondhand smoke can cause these health troubles:

• It Increased risk of heart disease.
• It Increased risk of lung cancer.
• Increased risk of respiratory troubles, such as pain in the chest, mucus, coughing and diminished lung function.
• Increased risk of ear infections and lung infections in kids. 
• Increased risk of asthma attacks.
• Increased risk of giving birth to babies with low birth weight.

Health and fitness Tips: Keeping Diabetes Under Control

Whether you need to lose weight, gain weight or stay wherever you are, if you're diabetic, eating the right food can help you manage the disease.
People with diabetes must take more care to make sure that their diet is balanced with insulin and oral medications, and to exercise to help manage their blood glucose levels, says the American Diabetes Association. Sticking to a meal plan can help you get better your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, and also help keep your weight on track.
This might sound like a lot of work, but your doctor or dietitian can help you make a meal plan that is best for you, one that fits into your schedule and lifestyle. When you make healthy food choices, you will improve your overall health, and you can even help prevent complications such as heart disease, some cancers, and hypertension.

Metabolic Syndrome Doubles Heart Risk, Analysis Shows

The combination of metabolic syndrome risk factors -- including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance -- increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. And about 25 percent of American adults have metabolic syndrome, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

In the new analysis, researchers examined more than 70 recent studies that included a total of nearly one million patients. The investigators found that people with metabolic syndrome are up to 2.5 times more likely to die of heart-related causes and to have heart disease, a heart attack or stroke, compared to people without the syndrome.
"Ultimately, population-level interventions such as New York City's ban on trans-fats are needed to decrease the number of people with the metabolic syndrome and their corresponding cardiovascular risk," Eisenberg said in the news release.

Unfit men working long hours dual risk of heart death

Unfit men who work long hours are more than twice as probable to die of heart disease as unfit men who work shorter hours, according to new research. By gap, fit men who work long hours are not more likely to die of heart disease, the research found.
It is well known that long working hours are bad for but it has not been clear if physical fitness levels have any crash on the attendant rates of disease and death. The findings are based on 5,000 Danish men, aged 40 to 59, who between them worked in 14 different companies, and whose heart health and physical fitness levels were after tracked over 30 years.
Participants completed a cycling exercise stress-test and provided details on the standard number of hours they worked every week. More than two-thirds of the men clocked up between 41 and 45 hours a week, and approximately one in five worked more than this. During the monitoring period, 587 of them died (11.9 per cent) as a result of ischaemic heart disease.
Men working 41 to 45 hours a week were 59 per cent more likely to die of heart disease, but not more likely to die of other causes than men working less hours. Physically fit men working longer hours were 45 per cent less likely to die of heart disease and 38 per cent less likely to die of other causes than persons who were unfit. “The results that working more than 45 hours a week is connected with more than a doubled risk of (death from heart disease)among men with low physical fitness, and not among men with moderate or high physical fitness, is a new surveillance,” the study’s authors commented.

The fact about 12 health myths

In a 2002 German revise, researchers found that the burning process produces a novel type of cancer-fighting antioxidant in bread that is eight times more plentiful in the crust than in the crumb. Breads simply labeled "wheat" are frequently made with a combination of enriched white flour and whole-wheat flour and have less fiber.

If You are Go Out With Wet Hair, You'll Catch a Cold:

The truth is: You will suffer cold but will be just fine healthwise, says Jim Sears, a board-certified pediatrician in San Clemente, California, and a cohost of the daytime-TV show The Doctors. Half the group stayed in a temperate room while the rest took a bath and stood dripping wet in a entry for half an hour, then got undressed but wore wet socks for a few more hours. The wet group did not catch any more colds than the dry. Sears's conclusion: "Feeling cold doesn't affect your immune system."

If You Cross Your Eyes, They will Stay That Way:

The truth is: "There's no harm in charitable eye crossing," says W. Walker Motley, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. But if you notice your child doing this a lot, he might have other vision problems.

You Should supply a Cold and Starve a Fever:

The truth is: In both cases, eat and drink, then drink some more. "Staying hydrated is the most significant thing to do, because you lose a lot of fluids when you're ill," says Sears, who adds that there's no need for special beverages containing electrolytes (like Gatorade) except you are severely dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea.

chewing gum Stays in Your Stomach for Seven Years:

The truth is: Your Little Leaguer's wad of Big League Chew won't (literally) stick about until high school graduation. "As with most nonfood objects that kids swallow, fluids carry gum through the intestinal tract, and within days it passes," says David Pollack, a older physician in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Care Network. And even although gum isn't easily broken down in the digestive system, it probably won't cause a stomachache, either.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away:

The truth is: A handful of blueberries a day will keep the doctor away more efficiently. Blueberries are a nutritional jackpot, rich in antioxidants and fiber, and they are also easy to toss into cereal and yogurt. That said, eating a mixture of fruits and vegetables is important to prevent many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, down the road.

You Lose 75 Percent of Your Body Heat throughout Your Head:

The truth is: "This proverb was probably based on an infant's head size, which is a much greater percentage of the total body than an adult head," says Pollack. That's why it is important to make sure an infant's head residue covered in cold weather. But for an adult, the figure is additional like 10 percent. And keep in mind that heat escapes from any uncovered area (feet, arms, hands), so putting on a hat is no more important than slipping on gloves.

To Get Rid of Hiccups, Have Someone Startle You:

The truth is: Mainly home remedies, like holding your breath or drinking from a glass of water backward, haven't been medically proven to be effective, says Pollack. However, you can try this trick dating back to 1971, when it was available in The New England Journal of Medicine: Swallow one teaspoon of white granulated sugar. According to the study, this method resulted in the cessation of hiccups in 19 out of 20 afflicted patients. Sweet.

Eating Fish Makes You Smart:

The truth is: For kids up to age three or four, this is certainly the case. Fish, especially oily ones, such as salmon, are filled with omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). "DHA is particularly beneficial in the first two years of life for brain development, cognition, and visual acuity," says Beverly Hills pediatrician Scott W. Cohen, the author of Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year ($16, amazon.com). And a 2008 study in Clinical Pediatrics showed an increase in vocabulary and comprehension for four-year-olds who be given daily DHA supplements. Omega-3 options for the fish-phobic? Try avocados, walnuts, and canola oil.

You Shouldn't Swim for an Hour once Eating:
 
The truth is: Splash away. "After you eat, more blood flows to the digestive system and away from the muscles," says Cohen. "The thinking was that if you exercised persistently right after eating, that lack of blood would cause you to cramp up and drown." But that won't happen. Sears concurs: "You might have less energy to swim energetically, but it shouldn't slow down your ability to tread water or play."

Every Child must Needs a Daily Multivitamin:
 
The truth is: Children who are only breast-fed during their first year should be given a vitamin D supplement. After that, a multivitamin won't injure anyone, but many experts say that even if your child is in a picky phase, there's no need to sneak Fred, Wilma, and company into his applesauce. "Even mainly fussy eaters grow normally," Cohen says. "Your kids will finally get what they need, even if it seems as if they're subsisting on air and sunlight."

Warm Milk Will Help You go down Asleep:

The truth is: Milk contains small amounts of tryptophan (the same amino acid in turkey), "but you would have to drink gallons to get any soporific result," says Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, who specializes in sleep disorders. "What is efficient is a routine to help kids wind down," he says. And if a glass of warm milk is part of the process, it can have a placebo effect, in spite of of science.