Thick Thighs Decrease Heart Disease Risk

Stress, sleep interruptions may be at fault: researchers

(NEWSER) - People who live close to noisy roads may face a greater threat of developing high blood pressure than residents of quieter areas, researchers in Sweden say. People experiencing average daily noise exposure above 60 decibels have a more than 25% higher risk of hypertension, a study shows. The researchers link the findings to stress and possible sleep disruption caused by noise. But other experts aren’t so sure about the results, the BBC reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate after recovering are much less likely to suffer a recurrence than people who abstain, AFP reports. People who eat at least two servings a week are three times less likely to die from heart disease than those who don’t consume chocolate. And the more chocolate, the greater the benefit. “It seems that antioxidants in cocoa are a likely candidate,” the co-author of a recent study says. More»

It doesn't seem to cut heart risks in major new study

(NEWSER) - If you've been diligently working to raise your levels of "good cholesterol" to maintain a healthy heart, a study in the Lancet has some sobering news: You might be wasting your time. It's true that high levels of the cholesterol, called HDL, are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. But the study calls into question that all-important principle of "causal effect"—HDL itself may not be a cause of the lower risk, just a reflection of it, explains the New York Times . More»

Some inherit a male Y chromosome with a higher risk

(NEWSER) - Men represent about two-thirds of heart disease sufferers, and a new study offers a possible hint as to why—men with a certain genetic ancestry were 50% more likely to be afflicted. The study analyzed 3,233 white UK men and examined their male Y chromosomes, which are passed down from dad. Up to 20% of the men belonged to "haplogroup I," one of 13 known ancient ancestry branches, and that group's risk was drastically higher, Scientific American reports. More»

...at least in moderation

(NEWSER) - Bottoms up, beer lovers, because wine fans aren’t the only ones who get to rationalize their drinking habits anymore! Researchers examining 16 studies involving some 200,000 participants have concluded that drinking about a pint of beer a day reduces your risk of heart disease by an average of 31%, LiveScience reports, a benefit similar to that of drinking a glass of wine a day. More»