Heart Troubling Activities

Source – WEB MD

1) Too much sitting or driving could be trouble
If you want to stay heart healthy, it might make sense to cut back on driving and watching TV. In one analysis of data from nearly 30,000 people in 52 countries, those who owned both a car and TV had a 27% higher risk of heart attack than those who owned neither. However, the researchers caution that lack of physical activity—not the cars or TVs themselves—are the culprit.
Massy tip: If your job requires you to sit majority of the day, try to get in at least 1 hour of physical activity a day. Jogging, swimming or even walking the Massy stores aisles 

2) A Mediterranean style diet helps
This type of diet emphasizes eating foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber grains, and olive oils rich with monounsaturated fats, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, and limits eating cheese and sweets.

3) Pollution hurts more than your lungs
We’ve always known pollution is bad for your lungs. Now scientists are finding that it’s also toxic for your heart, even at low levels, according to research conducted at the Heart Institute of the Good Samaritan Hospital and the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, both in Los Angeles.
When pollutants are inhaled, they trigger an increase in “reactive oxygen species,” which are superoxiding molecules that damage cells, cause inflammation in the lungs, and spark a cascade of harmful effects in the heart and cardiovascular system. Hearts exposed to pollution are also at higher risk for arrhythmias.

4) Female heart attack symptoms may differ from that of a male
When it comes to matters of the heart, men and women definitely aren’t created equal. For instance, a man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces, while a woman’s heart weighs approximately 8 ounces.
Not only is a woman’s heart smaller than a man’s, but the signs that it’s in trouble are a lot less obvious. When women have a heart attack — and more than a half million do each year — they’re more likely to have nausea, indigestion, and shoulder aches rather than the hallmark chest pain.

5) Laughter: The good heart medicine
Health experts now have proof that laughter is good medicine.
A good belly laugh can send 20% more blood flowing through your entire body. One study found that when people watched a funny movie, their blood flow increased. That’s why laughter might just be the perfect antidote to stress.
When you laugh, the lining of your blood vessel walls relaxes and expands. So have a good giggle. Your heart will thank you.