It seems the elderly, especially those living in rural areas, may be more likely NOT to seek out the medical care they need for heart problems (as well as other issues) due to their work ethic and unique set of values. Pride in being healthy and able to avoid medical treatment, an unwillingness to further "burden" an already strained health care system, and a general ethic of "stoicism" are all common themes. Sadly, many times by the time the elderly finally seek out the care they need much of the damage has already been done.

Ischemic heart disease (reduced blood flow to the heart) is the world's leading cause of death. And it's getting to be an even greater concern as the Baby Boomer population ages and it's numbers steadily increase.

Experts already knew that as a heart gets older it becomes less and less resistant to damage from a heart attack, but now they have identified some promising reasons why. With this new information they are working on ways to make older hearts healthier, more resilient, and more like younger hearts. If heart disease can be managed more effectively then heart attacks will be less serious, and then of course people can live longer healthier lives!

Former President Gerald Ford, 93, was released from hospital after four days of undeclared medical testing. His son, Steven Ford, called his father's heart issues normal for a man his age -- he is the oldest living former U.S. president.

This was the fourth time Ford has been admitted to the hospital this year. Over the summer he had a pacemaker put in, and was admitted once for shortness of breath. In August, Ford received angioplasty surgery to increase blood flow through two of his coronary arteries at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic -- over half-way across the country from his home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Another positive report on the healthy heart effects of moderate drinking! A new study reveals that men and women over age 70 who drank one alcoholic beverage per day had 30 percent less risk of a cardiac calamity. The five-year study tracked heart healthy individuals aged 70 to 79 with blood tests. Those who drank moderately had less incidence of heart complications and death.

Though researchers are unsure of why alcohol acts in a protective way, there is evidence that consumption acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. The calming effect on the blood vessels helps prevent heart attacks. Alcohol may also contribute to improved health because of its stress-relieving attributes -- explaining the overall 26 percent reduced risk of mortality.

Getting older and living alone can add up to a two-fold increase in heart disease and related death, says a new study published today. A Danish study of 138,000 people found that men and women over age 50 and 60 who lived alone were not only more prone to heart disease, but were also more likely to die within a month after being diagnosed or suffering a heart attack. Conversely, aging men and women who lived with a partner, and in some cases still working, had the lowest occurrence of heart disease.

Though the link between loneliness and heart disease was unclear, researchers theorize that the increased risk was connected to lifestyle habits associated with living alone. Primarily, lack of family support, an ambivalent attitude toward doctor visits, smoking, high cholesterol and obesity were the main attributes of single living. Those who live alone are encouraged to seek out more frequent heart disease screening, as they are in a much higher risk group.

It is important to exercise in all phases of life-- by that, I mean being active and on our feet as we get older. A new study shows that elderly people are likely to live longer, as well as prevent the occurrence of heart disease, if they engage in some kind of movement-- even doing laundry or climbing stairs.

In the six-year study, one-third of a small group of people, age 70 to 82, who were most active were 12 percent less likely to die than their inactive peers. The active elders were also more likely to still work for pay-- not just volunteer-- and also climbed an average of two stair flights a day. The third of the group who were least active-- those who spent a lot of time in front of the television-- were 25 percent more likely to die.