Want to know how to avoid heart trouble? You can start by asking a nurse. Or, better yet, about 84,000 nurses. A 14-year study of 84,129 nurses — published in the New England Journal of Medicine — provides a blueprint for protecting the heart. You don’t have to be a medical professional to follow it, either. No matter your age, your gender, or your past lifestyle, now’s the time to start building a healthier heart.
Keys to a Healthy Heart
The Nurses’ Health Study, conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School, proved one crucial point: Healthy living can help protect the heart against the ravages of disease and time. The researchers found that one group of women was five times less likely than the others to have suffered a heart attack or to have died from heart trouble during the 14-year study. These strong-hearted women had different backgrounds and came from different parts of the country, but the big story is what they had in common: They ate a nutritious, low-fat diet, they refrained from smoking, they exercised regularly, they maintained a healthy weight, and they drank alcohol in moderation….