BREAST-FEEDING CAN LIMIT MOM'S RISK OF HEART ATTACK, STROKES

You've heard before about how healthy breast-feeding is for your baby. But what if it could aid your long-term health, too?

The latest findings published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggest that breast-feeding could reduce a mother's risk for developing a heart attack and stroke later in her life. Specifically, the Chinese study discovered breast-feeding mothers lowered their heart disease or stroke risk by approximately 10 percent.

It's important to note that the study was just observational (i.e. no cause-and-effect conclusions are available).

While short-term health benefits have been known – think weight loss and lower cholesterol – the long-term effects haven't been clear when it comes to cardiovascular diseases in mothers. University of Oxford, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking University researchers took into account data from 289,573 Chinese women, average age of 51, for the study. 

That data came from another study, where women (almost all were mothers, and none of them had cardiovascular disease) provided details regarding their reproductive history and lifestyle factors. There were 16,671 cases of coronary heart disease (including heart attacks) and 23,983 cases of stroke within eight years of follow-up. Mothers who breast-fed saw a 9 percent lower heart disease risk and an 8 percent lower stroke risk, all compared to those who had never breast-fed. Those who breast-fed for two years or more saw an 18 percent lower heart disease risk and 17 percent lower stroke risk.

Researchers accounted for cardiovascular disease risk factors like smoking, obesity and diabetes when putting together these results. Live Science notes the study couldn't account for factors like women's diet that might contribute to heart disease risk.

As for what researchers hope comes out of this? More breast-feeding.

"The findings should encourage more widespread breast-feeding for the benefit of the mother as well as the child," Zhengming Chen, senior study author and professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford, said in a statement. "The study provides support for the World Health Organization's recommendation that mothers should breast-feed their babies exclusively for their first six months of life.

"Although there is increasing recognition of the importance of exclusive breast-feeding, genuine commitment from policy makers is needed to implement strategies in the healthcare system, communities and families and the work environment that promote and support every woman to breast-feed," the authors wrote.

EXERCISE COUNTERS COGNITIVE DECLINE

A recent study in the journal, Medicine Science in Sports & Exercise, adds to the ever-growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of exercise. In addition to the plethora of physical benefits, it was found that moderate-to-vigorous exercise can reduce the risk of cognitive decline by 36%, as reported in Time (Exercise Keeps the Brain Young: Study - December 29, 2016).

With an aging population and continued projected increases for age-related cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, these findings give hope that older adults can help delay the onset of cognitive decline. 

The study provided 6,400 people aged 65 years and older with an activity tracker for a week, and assessed their cognitive abilities during tasks. After 3 years, people who performed moderate-to-vigorous levels of physical activity were significantly less likely to experience cognitive problems than those who were sedentary or did light physical activity. 

Other studies have shown that receiving physical therapy first for low back pain lowers costs, including basic education from a physical therapist prior to back surgery, and in instances when advanced imaging has been prescribed. 

As movement experts, physical therapists can design exercise programs for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease to include keeping them active and independent for as long as possible.

EXTRA STEPS CAN HELP THOSE AT RISK FOR DIABETES AVOID...

...AND LOWER THE RISK OF HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES.

Individuals at risk for diabetes can cut their risk for heart attack or stroke by 8% by taking an extra 2,000 steps a day—equivalent to about 20 minutes of moderately paced walking—according to a study of more than 9,000 adults performed by researchers at the University of Leicester and published in the Lancet.

"Two thousand steps seemed to be the magic number," TIMEreported ("How Many Steps Does it Take to Avoid a Heart Attack? Researchers Find Out" - December 19, 2013). "Even before the study began, for every 2,000 steps a day one participant tended to walk on average compared to another, he enjoyed a 10% lower rate of heart problems by the end of the year."

THINKING F.A.S.T. KEY IN EARLY DETECTION OF STROKE

Fewer than 25% of individuals who suffer a stroke arrive at an emergency room within 3 hours of symptom onset. But a recent study published in the American Heart Association’s Strokejournal, suggests that education can improve an individual’s ability to recognize stroke symptoms to reduce the delay in care (“Stroke education aids in symptom recognition, faster responses” – June 11, 2015).

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in adults. Stroke can happen to anyone at any time—regardless of race, sex, or even age—but more women than men have a stroke each year, and African Americans have almost twice the risk of first-ever stroke than whites do.

When someone experiences a stroke, the more time that passes, the more damage occurs in the brain. Emergency treatment with a clot-buster drug called t-PA can help reduce or even eliminate problems from stroke, but it must be given within 3 hours of when you start having symptoms.

Participants in the study received intensive education, but the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association offer a simple method for detecting signs of a stroke: think “F.A.S.T.”!

F = Face Drooping. Ask the person to smile. Is their smile uneven? Is one side of their face numb?
A = Arm Weakness. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does 1 arm drift downward? Is 1 arm weak or numb?
S = Speech Difficult. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? 
T = Time to call 9-1-1. If you observe any of these signs, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the emergency room.

Protect your loved ones and yourself by being able to recognize the signs!