The sad reality of women’s heart disease hits home

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 8 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas   ♥  @HeartSisters

I’m nicely settled back home now after a few days across the pond in beautiful Vancouver, where I was covering the 64th Annual Canadian Cardiovascular Congress there for Heart Sisters readers.

My favourite things about this trip: the weather, walking the Vancouver sea wall, the mountains, the divine heart-smart food, the fabulously helpful Heart and Stroke Foundation staff at the Media Centre, and the fact that I somehow managed to p-a-c-e myself most days while trying to take care of my heart.

My least favourite thing: out of over 700 scientific papers presented at this conference, I could count on one hand those that focused even remotely on women’s heart disease. My question is: why? Continue reading “The sad reality of women’s heart disease hits home” →

Women under age 55 fare worse after heart attack than men

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 2 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas

There was more distressing news for women from researchers reporting at the 64th Annual Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Vancouver. To the surprise of no one who’s been following women’s heart health lately, a Heart and Stroke Foundation study has found that women under age 55 fare worse than their male counterparts following a heart attack, and their health status declines more than that of their male counterparts.  Continue reading “Women under age 55 fare worse after heart attack than men” →

Why female shift workers may be at risk for heart disease

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 6 Comments

Here at the annual Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in beautiful Vancouver, we’ve learned some bad news about female shift workers.

As researcher Dr. Joan Tranmer – a former nurse herself with over 15 years of experience working rotating shifts –  told her conference audience:

“Women hospital staff working night shifts may be compromising their own health as they try to improve the health of patients.”   Continue reading “Why female shift workers may be at risk for heart disease” →

Do you know why you should eat fish twice a week?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 4 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas

Here on the West Coast of Canada, every small town on our island seems to lay claim to the enviable title of “Salmon Fishing Capital of the World!”  We  do love our salmon. And crab. And halibut, red snapper and many other kinds of local seafood.

According to experts at Mayo Clinic, eating two servings of fish a week could actually help to reduce your risk of heart attack by as much as 30%. For adults, that serving size is 3 ounces (85 grams) or about the size of a deck of cards.

“Doctors have long recognized that the unsaturated fats in fish, called omega-3 fatty acids, appear to reduce the risk of dying of heart disease.”

Here’s why those omega-3 fatty acids in fish are so good for your heart:   Continue reading “Do you know why you should eat fish twice a week?” →