Women Miss Heart Attack Signs

Source: Boston Globe | February 15, 2010
Only about half of women would call 911 if they thought they were having a heart attack, according to a new survey commissioned by the American Heart Association. The poll found that more women than in 1997 correctly identified heart disease as the leading killer of women, but that awareness varies among ethnic and racial groups.
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Like Aerobics, Strength Training Benefits Cognitive Function

Previous research has shown that aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming, enhances cognitive function. Since people with mobility limitations may be unable to pursue aerobic exercise, a team of researchers in Canada decided to see if resistance training had a similar effect.

For a controlled trial, 155 women 65-75 years old were randomly assigned to participate in resistance training once (54 women) or twice (52 women) a week, or join a control group engaging in flexibility and relaxation exercises (49 women).

After one year, women in both resistance training groups significantly improved their scores on tests of selective attention (maintaining mental focus) and conflict resolution. The program improved muscular function in the women.

“We were able to demonstrate that simple training with weights that seniors can easily handle improved ability to make accurate decisions quickly,” said lead author Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PhD. “Additionally, we found that the exercises led to increased walking speed, a predictor of considerable reduction in mortality.” (Archives of Internal Medicine, 170[2]:170-178, January 25, 2010)
Source: ICAA Research Review, February 2010

Heart Health Month

It's never too late to make lifestyle changes toward healthier cardiovascular health.  Controlling blood pressure is just one of them.
You can have high blood pressure, or hypertension, and still feel just fine. That is because high blood pressure does not cause signs of illness that you can see or feel. But, high blood pressure, sometimes called "the silent killer," is a major health problem. If high blood pressure isn't controlled with lifestyle changes and medicine, it can lead to stroke, heart disease, eye problems, or kidney failure.


For more information on Blood Pressure, check out this month's Care Connection or visit:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Health Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
301-592-8573
240-629-3255 (TTY)
www.nhlbi.nih.gov

National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus
Search for: “High Blood Pressure”
www.medlineplus.gov

American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
800-242-8721 (toll-free)
www.americanheart.org

For more information on health and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging Information Center
P.O. Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
800-222-2225 (toll-free)
800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)
www.nia.nih.gov
www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol