A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IS VERY POSITIVE FOR FEMALE HEART HEALTH

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including habits such as not smoking, regular exercise, proper weight and a healthy diet, is closely linked to a lower risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). English), according to a study published. The SCD is defined as the death produced within the hour following the manifestation of the symptom without evidence of circulatory collapse, and is the cause of more than half of the cardiac deaths. One team analyzed the association between a healthy lifestyle and the risk of SCD. The study involved 81,722 women between June 1984 and June 2010, and their lifestyle was assessed through questionnaires every two to four years. A low-risk lifestyle included non-smoking, a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25, a minimum of 30 minutes daily exercise, and a diet based on the Mediterranean diet, emphasizing high consumption of vegetables , fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains and fish, in addition to a moderate intake of alcohol.

Over the 26-year study period, there were 321 cases of SCD among the women participants, with a mean age of 72 years when they occurred. The four low-risk factors were independently related to a significantly lower risk of SCD. No smoking, exercise, and a healthy diet had an inverse relationship to the risk of SCD. The BMI was also associated with a lower risk for those women whose index was between 21 and 24.9.

According to the study authors, primary prevention of SCD is a major public health challenge, since most cases occur among individuals who do not present a high level of risk. However, the research demonstrated that the assumption of a healthy lifestyle was related to a lower risk of SCD, and can therefore be an effective strategy for its prevention.