As you may know, The Cardio Blog is being retired today. It's been an honor to write for this blog, and I hope that the information we brought to you was useful and informative. Since this will be my last post for The Cardio Blog, I thought I'd write about a topic that is near and dear to my heart (pun, lamely, intended): women's heart health.

We've seen it in the headlines again and again -- women, and often their doctors, don't always prioritize their health, and this seems to be especially an issue when it comes to heart health. But the fact is that heart disease is public enemy number one for women, and we all need to better understand and deal with our risk factors.

So I'll leave you with this post from Her Daily News. In it, they talk about Heart Truth, the National Institute of Health's campaign to bring heart education to women. They also include a checklist of questions to take to your doctor, as well as a list to help you understand your own risk. Do yourself -- and your heart -- a favor today and read through the questions to determine if you need to do more to protect your health.

Thanks for reading The Cardio Blog, and don't forget to come visit us at That's Fit for all of the latest news in health and fitness!

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But in individuals with heart troubles, too much exercise can be a bad thing too -- it can speed up heart failure ... in rats, at least. These findings are in direct opposition to what researchers thought they would find -- that the more they exercised, the healthier rats are.

But don't use these findings as an excuse to skip the gym for the next few decades -- it's still thought that a reasonable amount of exercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle. Excessive exercise might be a problem, but a daily walk will not kill you.

Vioxx has been in the news for awhile now for negative cardiac effects including heart attacks, and now new research may have pinpointed why. It all seems to come down to the pain killer's side effect of causing the body to produce extra amounts of a protein called "tissue factor" that has to do with blood clotting. Too much TF equals too much clotting, which equals heart attack and stroke problems.

Experts believe Vioxx isn't the only pain med to carry this risk, but all cox-2 inhibitors cause the increased production of tissue factor -- including Celebrex, which is still available. This study was not considered conclusive, but if you have questions or concerns about medications you're currently taking speak with your doctor.

We often describe others as having a "big heart," but depending on who they are they might have an over-sized heart in a very literal sense. Particularly if they've ever competed in the Tour de France, as research shows that Tour de France athletes have hearts that are 20-40% larger than average.

Scientists have noted that almost any athlete that trains extensively will adapt by growing a larger heart, but the strenuous bicycling competition involving 3 weeks of bicycling up and down mountains obviously takes it to the extreme!

Many people in my life suffer from asthma, myself included. It doesn't help that we live in a city of over a million people, but when I see the pollution that engulfs cities like Los Angeles, I'm grateful for the chance to see blue sky and not just a smoggy haze when I look out my window.

Everyday Health has put together a list of the worst cities for Asthma Sufferers. At the top of the list? Atlanta. Other cities that made the cut include Philadelphia, Raleigh, Knoxville, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Little Rock and Harrisburg. Strangely enough, LA only ranked 12th on the list -- I would have thought it to be #1.

I didn't realize this, but there's a nationwide campaign to put portable defibrillators, or AEDs, in every school. Proponents want the defibrillators in place to protect kids who may suffer a cardiovascular event, as well as adults in the school building. But a recent study out of Seattle questions the logic of spending $1000-$3000 on the equipment in every school, when there may not be a need.

Researchers found that few cardiovascular events happen among school aged children as it is, and that an AED would most likely be used on adults who happened to be in the building. They also found that those adults were more likely to be in junior and senior high schools (for sports programs, etc.) so AEDs may not be required at the elementary level.

On the other hand, no one really knows when and where a heart attack may strike, and wouldn't it be tragic if it happened in a building that didn't acquire an AED to cut costs? It's a tough decision for those who balance the school budgets...what do you think?

A dose of Rover might just be the perfect medicine for heart patients. Research, reported by the American Heart Association, has found that spending time with a dog helps heart and lung function by lowering blood pressure, diminishing the release of harmful hormones, and decreasing anxiety.

The best news, is that it doesn't take much time with a furry friend to see results. In the study, hospitalized heart patients spent just 12 minutes with the dogs -- so even short-term exposure to dogs has beneficial physiological and psychosocial effects on patients.

Personally, I can attest that dogs are a great comfort ... they make people happier, calmer, and feel more loved ... this has to be a huge help when you are scared and not feeling well.

A recent study found that a 30-minute training DVD could teach adults to perform CPR just as well as the conventional class, which often took three to four hours. Now, researchers out of Denmark have found an innovative way to get parents to learn CPR...let their kids teach them. During the study, 7th graders watched the DVD at school and practiced CPR on mannequins. Then they took the materials home to their parents with instructions to teach their families how to do the method. Students taught an average of 2.5 people each, and health experts are hopeful that new methods such as this one may reach larger groups of people.

If you're interested in learning CPR at home, check out CPR Anytime for Family and Friends, as well as an infant version for new parents.

There's been a great deal of research done and an abundance of data that suggests that vitamin E supplementation does not play a role in reducing the chance of heart attack. However, a new study points to underdosing as the reason for the vitamin's repeated failure.

Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals damage cellular proteins, fats and DNA. Though free radicals are byproducts or normal metabolism, they are also produced in excess when the body is in certain disease states, heart disease not withstanding. Researchers conducted animal studies to determine if vitamin E (and other antioxidant compounds) could offer some protection against heart attack in individuals with excessive free radical damage. However, subsequent studies on vitamin E revealed that almost no benefit came from its consumption.

But, researchers are now suggesting that in this earlier clinical trials, test subjects were not given large enough doses of vitamin E for it to show any effect. Upon upping the dosage to 1600 IU per day (which is twice that was used in the earlier studies), the test subjects showed a significant reduction in oxidative stress.

As I write this, I'm sitting in Panera Bread, sipping on some coffee that has a name so fancy it's supposed to impress people enough to make them buy it (color me impressed, I guess). While I'm not really much of a coffee drinker, there's plenty of research out there to suggest that maybe it's something I should consider becoming.

In one of the more recent studies -- published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition -- it was discovered that consuming 2 to 3 daily cups of caffeinated drinks, including coffee, can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 31%. And, as if that weren't enough of a benefit, coffee may also lower your risk of developing colon cancer, so says a different study that was published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Maybe I should order myself another one of these. Now if I could only pronounce the name, I'd be all set.

The current standard for anyone with an implanted defibrillator is that they should avoid participating and competing in intense sports of any kind, but the younger the patient the less compliant they often are. And with more and more younger patients getting ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillators) it's becoming more and more important to get a clear understanding of exactly how the devices are affected by physical activity. As of now doctors warn against playing in sports just because they have no idea how strenuous exercise, adrenaline, and physical jolts/impacts can affect defibrillators. They assume it's all risky, but they really don't know for sure, which is prompting new research.

Seems like this is a quality of life issue, really. Taking care of yourself is important, but that usually means at least some physical activity, doesn't it?

Humans are not the only beings who are fighting the battle of the bulge. In the United Kingdom nearly half of all household dogs and cats are classified as overweight or obese. The problem has grown such that Joe Inglis, a TV vet, has launched a website specifically aimed at helping owners and their pets find solutions to the weight problem.

The website, called Pets Get Slim, has facts about pet obesity and hints to help curb food intake. Inglis is excited about the site, saying, "Whether your pet is obese or slightly overweight - it matters. A weight problem can affect a pet's quality of life and lead to straining of the joints, causing arthritis, as well as internal illnesses like diabetes, liver disease and heart disease."

Helping your pet get back in shape is not only healthy four your small best friend, but it can also help the family members get in shape. Taking the family dog for a walk rather than sitting in front of the television is a help for everybody. For more information, visit the site and check out more facts.

Sometimes, having high blood pressure comes as a bit of a surprise to some people. Whether they find out during a visit to the doctor or even during one of those wacky blood pressure chairs at the grocery store, people who don't think they have high blood pressure are typically quite shocked to learn that they do. Once this fact is accepted, the next step is to find out what can be done to remedy this problem. Medication is always an option, but which one? Well, here's one that may not have heard of yet.

Tekturna. It's a first-of-its-kind drug to be approved by the FDA. The difference between Tekturna and other blood pressure meds is that Tekturna deals with the problem by cutting right to the chase. Basically, it inhibits renin, a kidney enzyme that initiates the chemical process that ultimately leads to an elevated blood pressure. By contrast, all other blood pressure meds work at the later stage, dealing chiefly with regulation and not doing a whole hell of a lot in the way of prevention.

A recent study of 2,000 people offered a demonstrable reduction in blood pressure over the entire year that the study was conducted. Also, it appears as though Tekturna can work just fine when taken in conjunction with other anti-hypertensive meds. And, side effects seem to be minimal, though I would suggest taking the time to investigate further before dialing up your doctor for a prescription.

A solid workout can do wonders in helping you put a stressful day behind you. Apart from the natural "high" people receive from the release of endorphins, new research also points to exercise as a means of protecting the heart from the physical impairment that can be brought on by stress.

In a study conducted at University College London, researchers measured stress levels in middle-age adults. They found that when you are stressed, your body responds by creating inflammatory chemicals that can lead to severe physical damage, including the clogging of your arterial walls. However, the researchers also found that among these middle-age adults, those what were the fittest had one-fifth the amount of chemicals in their blood as those who were fairly inactive.

The key is to find an exercise program that works for you. Magazines and books are great sources for a variety of exercise programs to choose from, but it sometimes takes a little personal trial and error before you find the right one for you and your schedule.

It'll probably come as no surprise to you that a recent study found that roller coasters caused increased heart rate and blood pressure in riders. I mean, my heart starts pounding when I'm standing in line, I can't even imagine what it's doing while I'm on the coaster, flipping upside down and hurtling through space. But the researchers who led the study think that the level to which heart rates soared may be significant for those with underlying heart disease. In addition, riders had benign arrythmias for up to five minutes following their roller coaster adventure, something else that may be of concern to those with cardiac conditions.

The greatest spike in heart rate came as the roller coaster was slowly climbing the first (and highest) hill, a fact that anyone who has every ridden a coaster can probably understand! This study doesn't mean you can't enjoy a roller coaster if you have a heart condition, just that you need to take your health into consideration before you board. If you're planning a trip to an amusement park, mention it to your doctor at your next checkup.