It's Valentine's Day and a perfect time to talk about heart stuff.
Heart Ache and Heart Health:
First, let's talk about the impact of heart-ache on heart health. My tour through Body Worlds at the Science Centre shed some light on the research around a heart breaking incident on heart health. We all know that ache in the centre of our chest when something devastating happens in our life...the death of a loved one, the end of a tumultuous relationship or love going unreturned. Well the impact of depression and heart health is being considered very seriously by researchers.
"We’re learning about several mechanisms. During depression, the normal heart rate variability (the beat-to-beat variations) is decreased, and studies have shown that after a heart attack, people with decreased heart rate variability have a higher risk of dying. Platelets that form clots are activated during depression, which can lead to vascular damage and more plaque formation in the blood vessels. Levels of the hormone cortisol are higher during depression, as well, which has a negative impact. There is also probably some genetic predisposition that we’re slowly beginning to understand."
(taken from http://cchealth.clevelandclinic.org/ask-experts/heartache-heart-attack-link)
So heart ache or depression left untreated is something with a physical impact. A good therapist can help us transition in a healthier way out of difficult life challenges. Many times people say they can't afford therapy. However, if you talk to your doctor, he or she can refer you out to an OHIP covered therapist. If you prefer not going through the medicalized route, you can also contact a therapist in supervision (about $30 per hour) at the Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapists at 416.964.7919.
Heart Disease the Leading cause of death in women:
Surprised?
"In fact, coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack, is the single leading cause of death for American women. Many women believe that cancer is more of a threat, but they're wrong. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
If you're a woman, you may not believe you're as vulnerable to a heart attack as men–but you are. Women account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths. Heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men.
There are differences in how women and men respond to a heart attack. Women are less likely than men to believe they're having a heart attack and more likely to delay in seeking emergency treatment.
Further, women tend to be about 10 years older than men when they have a heart attack. They are more likely to have other conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure–making it all the more vital that they get proper treatment fast.
Women should learn the heart attack warning signs. These are:
Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest.
Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, including the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
Other symptoms, such as a shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
If you feel heart attack symptoms, do not delay. Remember, minutes matter! Do not wait for more than a few minutes–5 minutes at most–to call 9-1-1. Your family will benefit most if you seek fast treatment.
(Taken from http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4786)
Best type of exercise to strengthen the heart:
People just have to stop thinking of long steady state cardio as the way to go for improving heart health.
A long steady state cardio only has one adaptation phase. The heart is a muscle. To build muscle we need to challenge the muscle, getting out of a comfort zone and forcing the muscle to adapt to a NEW stimulus. Not one it's used to doing all the time.
Cardio machines marketers have brainwashed us into thinking we need to find our endurance heart rate (70% of max heart rate) for us to be working effectively. Sure helps that the only way to do that is a very expensive people of cardio equipment or an expensive heart rate monitor. Don't forget that fitness equipment manufacturers are trying anything they can to get us to spend money and to justify their existence.
The only way to dramatically improve your heart strength is with interval training that pushes your heart out of it's endurance zone. If you suffer from any medical condition, you should consult with your doctor about a safe heart rate zone. But the rest of us out there should be PUSHING ourselves and making ourselves run out of breath a bit! Cardio equipment is not an essential component of improving heart health! This whole paradigm is nothing new at all
"A 2005 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that after just two weeks of interval training, six of the eight college-age men and women doubled their endurance, or the amount of time they could ride a bicycle at moderate intensity before exhaustion."
(taken fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/fashion/03Fitness.html)
Nothing changes in our bodies without being forced to change.
So Happy Valentines Day to all of you. Take care of your hearts!
Jane
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