Too close for comfort?
Do too many family members under one roof hurt the heart? That’s the question pondered by researchers at Osaka University, who followed more than 90,000 Japanese women and men ages 40 to 69 for as long as 14 years. What they found: Women who lived with a spouse, children and aging parents or with a spouse and parents were two to three times more likely to suffer from heart disease than women who only lived with a spouse. Men living in these multigenerational households didn’t experience the same heart-risk increase. Researchers hypothesize that, for women, the stress of juggling multiple family roles may be taking a toll. Japanese women not only care for their family members and keep the household running, but they also work outside the home full time—a scenario not unfamiliar to American women. So if you’re a stressed–out caregiver—or if you live with one—perhaps it’s time to give the ol’ heart a break and divvy up those responsibilities.

Your real heart-disease risk
It turns out your lifetime risk of developing heart disease may be higher than you thought. Several recent studies have questioned using the traditional heart–disease scoring method known as the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) on people ages 50 and younger. Doctors use the FRS—which factors in age, gender, total cholesterol, good cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, smoking status and the use of blood pressure medications—to help predict the risk of developing heart disease in the next 10 years. However, the measure doesn’t seem to accurately predict longer–term risk. A recent multicenter study, published in the journal Circulation, found that 90 percent of the almost 4,000 study participants under age 50 had a low 10–year heart disease risk using the FRS. But if age was set aside and other risk factors such as cholesterol and blood pressure were studied, half of the people were reclassified as having a high lifetime risk. Study participants’ arteries were scanned to verify the predictions, and a greater amount of deposits and artery thickening were found among those now labeled high risk. Researchers say the FRS is still important to identify short–term risk, but a long-term risk measurement that doesn’t concentrate so much on age would be a helpful addition for younger patients.

Smoking sends hearts aflutter
You can add one more item to the list of bad things smoking does to your heart: arrhythmias, or abnormal heart beats. Researchers in the Netherlands have found that both current and former smokers run a higher risk of the heart rhythm problem known as atrial fibrillation, which occurs when the heart’s upper two chambers beat rapidly and out of sync. While not life–threatening, the condition can factor into your stroke and heart failure risk. In the study of more than 5,600 people ages 55 and older, smokers and ex–smokers were 50 percent more likely than people who had never smoked to develop atrial fibrillation over seven years. Researchers adjusted for age, high blood pressure, prior history of heart attacks and other factors and found that smoking was still associated with a higher arrhythmia risk. While quitting smoking doesn’t seem to affect arrhythmia risk, you should still ditch the habit to reduce your risk of lung cancer and heart attacks.

Don’t skimp on your health!

In these tough economic times, many people are skipping checkups and taking a break from medication. According to the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UMSPH), visits to doctors are down 10 percent to 15 percent and about one in nine patients is going against doctor’s orders by splitting pills or only taking them every other day. Instead of taking such drastic measures, talk with your doctor about your difficulties. He or she may offer suggestions on how to reduce your healthcare costs or direct you to local or state assistance programs. Here are some other suggestions from UMSPH that can help:
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet and regular exercise can keep many diseases at bay.
• Get screened. Yes, mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations and other preventive measures cost money, but in the long run they can spare you from a much-pricier health crisis. Ask your doctor about free or low–cost screenings available in your area.
• Go generic. Talk with your doctor about replacing expensive brand-name medications with generic alternatives.
    Think you can skip your doctor visits and simply use the emergency room as a source of primary care to cut your costs? It’s not a good idea. Not only will you be seeing a doctor who’s not familiar with your medical history, but you may be taking a spot away from someone who really needs emergency care. For the best outcome, see your doctor regularly.