People who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend not to be happy, according to a major new study published (Thursday 18 February) (see also European Society of Cardiology).

The authors believe that the study, published in the Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal, is the first to show such an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease.

Editor’s Note: Having a positive attitude helps boost us maintain a healthy immune system. Cardiovascular disease can be a major contributor to eye disease such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. For more related information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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In a study of more than 1,200 people undergoing cardiac imaging at Emory because of suspected heart disease, people with high levels of cysteine in the blood were twice as likely to have a heart attack or die over the next few years.

Cysteine could be a valuable marker of cardiovascular risk, but it also has a direct harmful effect on cells, so reducing it may be a valuable treatment strategy, according to researchers.

Cysteine is itself a short-lived precursor to glutathione, one of the main antioxidants found inside cells. We need to have a continuous supply of cysteine, but it is too reactive for us to have very much at any one time.

Smoking and alcohol consumption are also linked with higher levels of oxidized cysteine.

Editor’s Notes: Current research is showing other indicators to be much more accurate in predicting future heart disease than cholesterol levels including C-Reactive Protein levels, Homocysteine levels and possibly now oxidized cysteine levels.

For more information on nutrition and heart disease, Click Here

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A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age. The research, just published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older. The study found that older adults with insufficient levels of vitamin D die from heart disease at greater rates that those with adequate levels of the vitamin, with approximately 1/3 of seniors considered to be deficient in vitamin D.

Editor’s note: Vitamin D3 is the form best asborbed in a supplement. See more information on nutrients and health conditions.

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