Heart Disease

In people with risk factors for developing heart disease, taking an aspirin a day can prevent heart attacks. Now three new studies have found that a daily dose of aspirin can also decrease your risk of getting cancer.

All studies were published in The Lancet, a leading peer-reviewed medical journal. The first found that patients had a 25 percent lower risk of developing cancer if they took daily aspirin for three years, and a 37 percent lower risk if they took aspirin for five years. The other studies found that daily aspirin helped prevent the growth and spread of cancers, and that taking aspirin regularly reduces your risk of dying from solid cancers like lung, colon, and prostate (vs blood cancers like leukemia) by 35 percent. Researchers think that the same reason aspirin helps your heart — by thinning your blood so that it doesn't clot at already clogged arteries — also helps prevent platelets from spreading cancerous cells throughout your body.

Not everyone should start a daily aspirin regimen, and there are certain risks associated with taking daily aspirin, so be sure to talk to your doctor. But it's good news that a simple step like a daily aspirin pill can help prevent diseases that affect us as we age.

If all the mixed messages about soy products have you confused, you're not alone. Recent studies have certainly found mixed evidence on the benefits. I've been hearing mostly about soy's effect on heart disease and breast cancer, so here's the latest research on the topic.

Heart Disease
A recent comprehensive update of soy research by the American Heart Association's nutrition committee found that soy protein does not have as much of an effect on cholesterol as previously thought. The benefit for the heart is not due to a direct relationship to reduced cholesterol but rather because soy products are generally used as a substitute for unhealthy choices and also because they are low fat yet high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Breast Cancer
Soy products contain a wide range of compounds including isoflavones, which can act as antioxidants, but also function as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are chemicals that plants make that are similar to human estrogen, and many of us have read that these phytoestrogens have been linked to breast cancer. In some cases these phytoestrogens may be able to mimic estrogen in the body or block the action of estrogen. Phytoestrogens acting as estrogen could possibly affect cell communication, prevent the formation of tumors, or change the way DNA is processed in cell multiplication.

For more on the relationship between soy and breast cancer, keep reading.

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's answering questions about cardiovascular health for women.

Dear DrSugar,
I hear stats about heart health all the time, but don't know what I should be doing to stay on the right track. What should women in their 20s and 30s do to protect their hearts? Thanks!
— Hoping to stay heart-healthy

Heart disease has historically been viewed as a man's disease, and thus, prevention and awareness of heart disease in women was not always at the forefront. However, heart disease prevention in women is extremely important since cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women (and men) in the United States. Let's review the precautionary advice.

Being that February is heart health month, it's a good time to review how to keep your ticker ticking properly. Ditching artery-clogging meat and dairy products, which increase risk for heart disease, sounds like a step in the right direction, but unfortunately going vegan like Alicia Silverstone doesn't automatically put you on the safe list. According to research, vegans may not be getting enough iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids from their diets, which are all essential for a healthy cardiovascular system.

On the plus side, vegans do tend to have lower BMIs (body mass index) and cholesterol levels. But to do their hearts good, vegans need to make sure to get their fill of the heart-healthy essential vitamins and nutrients mostly found in meat and dairy products. Learn where to find those nutrients in a plant-based diet.

Put that lollipop, cupcake, or chocolate-covered whatever down! I have some bad news for those of you born with a major sweet tooth. Aside from the fact that eating too much sugar leads to bigger sized jeans and more trips to the dentist, here's another con to add to the list associated with eating sugar — an increased risk of heart disease. A recent study found that those who ate an average of 46 teaspoons of added sugar each day suffered from higher risk factors that cause heart disease such as higher triglycerides and lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

With so many beverages and prepared foods containing added sugars, Americans are eating way more of the white stuff than they used to. According to the American Heart Association, eating too much is contributing to a plethora of health issues including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Women are urged to cut back and consume no more than 100 calories of added processed sugar each day, which is equal to six teaspoons (25 grams). Do you think you exceed this amount?

With American Heart Month coming to an end, I'd like to urge you to get your blood pressure checked. According to a new report from the Institute of Medicine, hypertension — aka high blood pressure — is becoming a neglected disease. When the doctor slips the Velcro cuff on and off of our arm, it's easy to zone out, but consider this: one in three American adults has hypertension and one in six will die from hypertension-related complications like a stroke or heart disease.

Although the exact cause of high blood pressure is unknown, there are many contributing factors to the condition. Here are a few things you can do to avoid becoming part of the deadly statistic.

1. Lay off the salt. Ninety percent of American adults consume more than the RDA of sodium of one teaspoon per day. Not entirely shocking when you consider the salt content in most processed or restaurant-made foods is through the roof. To keep your salt intake in check, make an effort to check the sodium content of the foods you buy at the grocery store, ask that your food be prepared with less salt when dining out, and go homemade whenever you can.
2. Relax. Stress is a contributing factor to high blood pressure. Make sure you have a way to decompress from all of life's little knots that can get tied up in you. Exercise, massage, sex, getting enough sleep, and meditation are great starts to a calmer you.

To find out four other ways you can prevent high blood pressure, read more

I was shocked when I first heard that heart disease is the leading cause of death amongst women. It's not something many people talk about, at least not in the same way as breast cancer or obesity. Since I associate heart attacks more with men, I wasn't too surprised to hear that a lot of other women are misinformed too.

A study found that almost half of 2,300 women surveyed wouldn't call 911 if they were having a heart attack, primarily because they couldn't identify the symptoms. Most women didn't know that heart disease is also the leading cause of death amongst their gender.

The American Heart Association (AHA) conducted the study as a way to determine how to educate the public about heart disease. Researchers say that the messages provided by the media about heart disease are often confusing — the AHA's goal is to raise awareness by delivering the facts in a straightforward and simple way.

Ladies, it's American Heart Month, meaning there's no better time to learn the warning signs that you may be experiencing a heart attack. Here are the symptoms WebMD advises we look for. Please call 911 if you think you or someone you know is experiencing an attack.

• Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone
• Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm
• Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
• Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness
• Extreme fatigue, weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats

I was vegan for a short time in college, and was shocked when I had my cholesterol tested and found it was high. I wasn't even eating cholesterol! The thing is, your liver makes cholesterol and it's actually essential for your body to function normally. Cholesterol is also found in food and appropriately called dietary cholesterol. Since your body produces enough, you don't need to worry about getting any from diet. What you do need to worry about is getting too much.

A healthy person with healthy cholesterol levels can safely consume 300 milligrams a day. If your levels are high, aim for less than 200 mg a day. Are you eating too much? Find out how much cholesterol is in your favorite foods when you read more