Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program conducted a large, long-term study that included more than 130,000 men and women between the ages of 18 and 90, with the majority under the age of 50 years old.

They found that men and women who reported drinking four or more cups of coffee each day had an 18 percent lower risk of hospitalization for heart rhythm disturbances. Those who reported drinking one to three cups each day had a 7 percent reduction in risk.

"This study does not mean that people should drink coffee to prevent rhythm problems," said the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Arthur Klatsky. "It supports the idea that people who are at risk for rhythm problems or who have rhythm problems do not need to abstain from coffee."

Because patients frequently report palpitations after drinking coffee, the public may be surprised at the study findings, according to Klatsky.

According to the American Heart Association, about 2.2 million Americans have atrial fibrillation, which is the most common heart rhythm problem. About 15 percent of those who suffer a stroke have the disorder.

"Many women younger than 50 have not yet gone through menopause and still have high levels of the female hormone estrogen in their blood, which is thought to help protect the heart," explained Dr. Vera Rigolin of the Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "After menopause, however, the levels of estrogen in a woman’s body drop significantly and can contribute to the higher risks of cardiovascular disease."

Weight gain often associated with menopausal hormonal changes can also increase health risks. Women may also have a harder time losing weight, which can contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol – all risk factors that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the best way to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to healthcare experts.

"If you are a smoker, quit immediately and avoid second hand smoke. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and exercise at least three times per week to maintain a healthy body weight," said Rigolin.

She also recommends that women have their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked annually.

According to Reuters, researchers in Canada followed 1,739 men and women over a 10 year period. Trained nurses measured the participants heart disease risk along with their negative emotions such as depression, hostility and anxiety and their positive emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and contentment.

The researchers then ranked their positive emotions, known as "positive affect," across five levels ranging from "none" to "extreme" and found that for each rank the risk of heart disease decreased by 22 percent.

Lead researcher Karina Davidson of Columbia University Medical Center said the findings suggest that enhancing peoples’ positive emotions could help prevent heart disease. She added that more clinical trials are needed to support her study’s results.

"We also found that if someone who was usually positive had some depressive symptoms at the time of the survey, this did not affect their overall lower risk of heart disease," she said.

Researchers explained the possible link between happiness and increased heart health by pointing out that happier people have longer periods of rest or relaxation and are able to quickly recover from stressful situations.

Researchers at Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom say their analysis found that there is a significant association between high levels of vitamin D in middle-aged and elderly people, and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33 percent compared to low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55 percent reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51 percent reduction).

"Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders," said the study’s co-author, Dr. Oscar Franco.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and is also produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis.

Healthcare experts say it is important in fighting several medical conditions such as cancer and osteoporosis.

Vitamin D is available in nutritional supplement form as well as in dietary sources like dairy products, fortified cereals, and fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel.

According to the Los Angeles Times, researchers from the University of Southern California and the University of California at Berkeley have found that residents of Los Angeles who live near a freeway experience a hardening of the arteries – known as atherosclerosis – at twice the rate of those who live farther away.

Atherosclerosis is a condition known to cause heart disease and stroke.
Researchers studied nearly 1,500 people who live within 328 feet of a California freeway for a period of three years. The participants received ultrasounds every six months to measure the carotid artery wall thickness. The findings were then compared to the levels of toxic dust near their homes.

They found that living near a freeway contributed to a hardening of the arteries at a rate of 5.5 micrometers per year. That’s more than twice the average progression of the condition.

"For the first time, we have shown that air pollution contributes to the early formation of heart disease, known as atherosclerosis, which is connected to nearly half the deaths in Western societies," said the study’s co-author Michael Jerrett. "By controlling air pollution from traffic, we may see much larger benefits to public health than we previously thought."

Researchers analyzed data on 6,102 people with migraines and 5,243 people without migraines. Participants completed questionnaires that asked about general health, headache frequency, severity and symptoms as well as a broad range of medically diagnosed cardiovascular symptoms and events.

They found that people who have the headaches have a 4.1 percent chance of having a heart attack, compared to a 1.9 percent risk among those without them. In addition, those who have migraine with auras have an even greater risk.

The study also found that migraine sufferers face an increased risk for stroke and are more likely to have key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

"Migraine has been viewed as a painful condition that affects quality of life, but not as a threat to people’s overall health," said the study’s lead investigator Dr. Richard Lipton. "Our study suggests that migraine is not an isolated disorder and that, when caring for people with migraine, we should also be attentive to detecting and treating their cardiovascular risk factors."

The study published in the online journal Hypertension found that early life stress increased sensitivity to a hormone known to increase blood pressure and cardiovascular risk in adult life.

Researchers subjected rat pups to chronic behavioral stress by separating them from their mothers for three hours daily for two weeks. Although the animals did not show any long-term indicators of cardiovascular disease such as increased blood pressure, heart rate or inflammation in blood vessel walls, they say an infusion of a stress hormone when they reached adulthood dramatically increased all of the key indicators for heart problems.

Lead researcher Dr. Jennifer Pollock notes that the animals that were subjected to stressors early in life could not adapt to stress as well as other normal animals.

Researchers also noted that although the adult rats seemed fine until stressed, stress is inevitable in life.

In addition to heart problems, stress has also been linked to other health issues like headaches, sleep problems, stomach problems and decreased immunity, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Natural methods of reducing stress include exercise, relaxation and breathing exercises, tai chi, yoga and meditation.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen conducted controlled, randomized studies to compare individuals who played soccer with those who did other forms of exercise and an inactive control group. They found that inactive men with high blood pressure who participated in three months of soccer practice were able to lower their blood pressure as well as improve other cardiovascular risk factors such as maximal oxygen uptake, heart function, elasticity of the vascular system, cholesterol and fat mass.

In addition, they found that playing soccer was more beneficial than strength training, running or advice to make lifestyle changes like improving the diet and increasing exercise.

"Our research shows that soccer is a versatile and intense form of exercise that provides a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors in a large group of untrained adult men and women," said research leader Peter Krustrup. "Based on the results, soccer can be recommended as part of the treatment for high blood pressure and as broad-spectrum prevention of cardiovascular diseases."

Researchers say they plan to follow up this study with experiments on the effects of soccer on other diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

According to Reuters, researchers at the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain, followed more than 40,000 adults for an average of 10 years to gauge the benefits of the diet, which is high in olive oil, plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole-grain cereals, nuts and seeds as well as fish.

Participants provided information on what and how much they ate. They also had body measurements taken and were asked about behaviors such as smoking and physical activity, as well as medical history.

Researchers say that individuals who closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 40 percent less likely to suffer from a heart disease-related event than those who did not follow the diet.

Previous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of death in people who’ve had a heart attack, curb the risk of stroke and boost survival in people living with heart disease.

The American Heart Association (AHA) says that the diet, which varies between the 16 countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, is close to its dietary recommendations. However, the AHA notes that the diet is often higher in fat than other eating plans, which could contribute to weight gain.

Cardiologist Dr. Karla Kurrelmeyer of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston, Texas, shares some heart health tips for women in honor of American Heart Month.

She says exercising and staying physically fit is the most important thing women can do to benefit their cardiovascular health. "Every woman should work exercise into her lifestyle. Find something you enjoy doing, and do it regularly and often," she says.

Dr. Kurrelmeyer also recommends women follow the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fish and fresh vegetables, and low in processed carbohydrates to promote heart health.

Women should have their cholesterol checked each year, starting at age 20, especially if they have a family history of heart disease or stroke.

If they have a family history of these diseases as well as other risk factors, Dr. Kurrelmeyer suggests getting an initial, thorough heart check at age 40. If there is no family history, she suggests women get their hearts checked at age 50.