If you're a non-smoking woman who exercises and eats well, keep up the good work! A new Harvard University study shows that a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of heart disease in women by more than 80%.
Unfortunately, a mere 3% of over 84,000 women in the study met the researchers' definition of a healthy lifestyle. The Harvard study considered women to be at low risk if they did not smoke, were not overweight, drank at least half an alcoholic drink a day, spent at least 30 minutes a day exercising moderately or vigorously, and ate a high-fibre diet low in saturated fat.
The researchers found that all aspects of a healthy lifestyle were linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Those women in the low-risk group were more than 80% less likely to have a heart attack or die from heart disease. In fact, the researchers estimate that 82% of heart attacks and heart-related deaths could have been prevented if all of the women had adopted the low-risk lifestyle.
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.