Woman holding her hands to her chest.
Cardiology, Heart and Circulatory System, Prevention, Women's Health

It’s time for a heart-to-heart about women’s cardiovascular health, unique risk factors and symptoms

Although cardiovascular disease is often considered a disease of men, women are more likely to die from a heart attack when compared with men. This fact often surprises women and even their health-care providers. Many women are not aware that heart disease is a significant health threat to them, but the reality is that five times as many women die from heart disease as breast cancer.

Diet, Heart and Circulatory System, Nutrition, Prevention

3 ways to unlock the power of food to promote heart health

A common theme among these three approaches to eating is that they are all considered plant-based, and small changes can make a difference in your overall heart disease risk. “Plant based” does not necessarily mean you have to be 100 per cent vegan or vegetarian to get their benefits. Plant-based diets can range from entirely vegan to diets that include small to moderate amounts of animal products.

Dialysis, Fitness, Heart and Circulatory System, Weight Loss

Sitting all day is terrible for your health – now, a new study finds a relatively easy way to counteract it

To reduce the harmful health effects of sitting, take a five-minute light walk every half-hour. We found that a five-minute light walk every half-hour was the only strategy that reduced blood sugar levels substantially compared with sitting all day. In particular, five-minute walks every half-hour reduced the blood sugar spike after eating by almost 60%. That strategy reduced blood pressure by four to five points compared with sitting all day. But shorter and less frequent walks improved blood pressure too. Even just a one-minute light walk every hour reduced blood pressure by five points.