Lack of basic evidence about the numbers and causes of apparently inexplicable heart attacks among young sportsmen and women are seriously hampering our ability to prevent them, say experts.

At the very least, we need to start building reliable databases of all such events across sport, in a bid to start plugging these knowledge gaps, said Dr Richard Weiler, a sport and exercise medicine specialist, and colleagues in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

His comments come in the wake of the recent high profile case of premier league footballer, Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed on pitch, in front of a stadium packed with spectators, after sustaining a sudden heart attack.
Fortunately, Muamba recovered, but cases like these, although rare, are still likely to occur despite screening programmes, and they are poorly understood, Dr Weiler highlighted.

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If you’re eating lunch at your desk, you could double the chances of developing a fatal blood clot, experts have warned.

A survey found three out of four young office workers were failing to take a lunch break.

But after 90 minutes of immobility the flow of blood to the vein behind the knee drops by 50 per cent.

ComRes conducted a survey of 1,000 young professionals aged 21 to 30 and video gamers aged 16 to 21 and found that three quarters of the office workers (73 per cent) admitted to taking lunch at their desk.

And nine out of ten of the gamers played for longer than 90 minutes without a break.

A separate survey of 400 workers by Dr Richard Beasley, director of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, revealed a 2.2-fold increased risk of blood clots among those who usually ate lunch seated at their desk.

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Emotional upheaval is more likely to impose a heavier burden on women`s hearts than men`s, says a study.

These findings show that coronary (heart related) blood flow actually increases in men during mental stress, but remains unchanged in women, explaining why they could be more susceptible to adverse cardiac events.

Charity L. Sauder, Alison E. Thompson, Terrell Myers and Chester A. Ray, from Penn State College of Medicine, investigated the effects of mental stress on blood flow through the heart, said a university statement.

They recruited a group of healthy adults, both men and women. Each volunteer had his or her heart rate and blood pressure measured at rest, as well as coronary vascular conductance, a Doppler ultrasound measure of blood flow through the heart.

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Regularly quaffing sugar-sweetened, low-calorie sodas is likely to spike risk of a stroke, but intake of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee seems to lower it, a study reveals.

The study is the first to examine soda`s effect on stroke (when brain is deprived of blood supply) risk. Previous research has linked sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout and coronary artery disease.

`Soda remains the largest source of added sugar in the diet,` said Adam Bernstein, study author and research director at Cleveland Clinic`s Wellness Institute, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported.

`What we`re beginning to understand is that regular intake of these beverages sets off a chain reaction in the body that can potentially lead to many diseases – including stroke,` added Bernstein, according to a university statement.

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A high fat diet damages arteries earlier than suspected and is the first in a series of steps that cause high blood pressure (BP).

With age, increasing weight and metabolic disease, the internal walls of our large arteries progressively thicken and become less elastic, contributing to atherosclerosis and high BP.

Marie Billaud and colleagues from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, reported these findings in mice, the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research reports.

At present, researchers and physicians tend to measure arterial compliance (a measure of arterial stiffness) in large arteries in rather advanced stages of disease. However, this may not provide the full picture of when a disease starts and how it develops, according to a Virginia statement.

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People who suffer from a sudden drop in blood pressure (BP) when they stand up from a lying position, may face greater chances of heart failure.

The link between this condition, known as orthostatic hypotension, and heart failure was stronger in people aged 45-55 years compared to those between 56-64 years, researchers said.

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High BP, which was present in over half of people who developed heart failure, may be partially responsible for the association, the journal Hypertension reports.

`Orthostatic hypotension appears to be related to the development of heart failure along with other conditions known to cause heart failure,` said Christine DeLong Jones, resident in preventive medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who led the study.

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Maintaining a healthy lifestyle from your 20s into your 40s may spell lower cardiovascular risk in mid-age, says a new study.

“The problem is few adults can maintain ideal cardiovascular health factors as they age,” said Kiang Liu, study co-author and professor of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.

Top heart healthy foods

“Many middle-aged adults develop unhealthy diets, gain weight and aren’t as physically active. Such lifestyles, of course, lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and elevated cardiovascular risk,” added Liu, the journal Circulation reports.

“In this study, even people with a family history of heart problems were able to have a low cardiovascular disease risk profile if they started living a healthy lifestyle when they were young,” Liu said.

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A compound in citrus fruits may reduce women`s stroke risk, a study has said.

The study examines how consuming flavonoid subclasses affects the risk of stroke, Xinhua reported.

How good eating may prevent a stroke

Flavonoids are a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine.

`Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk,` said Aedin Cassidy, lead author and professor of nutrition at the University of East Anglia in Britain.

Try these delicious recipes made from oranges

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A healthy diet sustains us, but a poor diet can lead to increased blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and weight and put you at heart disease risk.

According to Donna Arnett, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Epidemiology in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health and president-elect of the American Heart Association, diet is only `one component of the overall cause of heart disease.`

But, Arnett asserted that it can exert a strong influence.

Sodium also is considered the culprit for the one in three Americans who develop high blood pressure. Sodium attracts water into your cells; the increased fluid raises your blood pressure and subsequently raises your risk of stroke and heart attack, heart failure and death, Arnett says.

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There are some foods, which when combined can make a romantic yet cardiac-friendly dinner that is perfect for you and your partner on Valentine`s Day.

According to researchers, eating a variety of healthy foods in moderation is vital for a heart-healthy diet

`Years of research has shown that a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fat and lean protein will not only help with weight maintenance, but with overall heart health,` said Katie Boles, RD, LDN, clinical dietician with the Brenner FIT Program, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

`Eating a variety of these foods and eating them in moderation is key to a heart-healthy diet,` she said.

The researchers have suggested having a glass of red wine during the meal.

7 ways to heart health

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