For most people, the benefits of aerobic exercise far outweigh the risks, however, extreme endurance exercise – such as participation in marathons and triathlons for people who aren’t accustomed to high-intensity exercise – can raise the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder) or heart attacks, according to a new Scientific Statement published in the Association’s premier journal Circulation.

Longer sitting times were associated with higher levels of heart disease risk among overweight and obese post-menopausal women overall, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association.

Dog ownership may be associated with longer life and better cardiovascular outcomes, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone, according to a new study and a separate meta-analysis published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

“While you don’t have to give up foods derived from animals completely, our study does suggest that eating a larger proportion of plant-based foods and a smaller proportion of animal-based foods may help reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other type of cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher, Casey M. Rebholz, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Binge watching TV may be a greater risk factor for heart disease and premature death among African Americans than sitting at a desk job, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association. According to the author, these latest findings suggest that television-watching may be the most harmful sedentary behavior.

If someone in your household has a cardiac arrest emergency, will you be able to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)? If you can, you’ll triple your loved one’s chance of survival. Of course a cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, but 70 percent of them occur in homes.

A label showing added sugars content on all packaged foods and sugary drinks could have substantial health and cost-saving benefits in the United States over the next 20 years, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. Using a validated model, researchers were able to estimate a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes cases from 2018 to 2037, if such a mandated addition to the Nutrition Label was implemented.

Only 46 percent of the women queried in a recent study said they’d be likely to give Hands-Only CPR in an emergency, compared to 54 percent of men who would. The American Heart Association (AHA) Hands-Only CPR Research Tracking Study found that gender difference becomes even more pronounced among younger people; 49 percent of women age 18 to 34 would be likely to give Hands-Only CPR in an emergency while 63 percent of men age 18 to 34 report the same.

A new report may give pause to “amateur” marathon runners – that is, those who undertake the grueling endurance event without sufficient training. Research just published in Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association, found that running a marathon when you’re not ready can increase cardiac strain.

Adults ages 45 or older who experience psychological distress such as depression and anxiety may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.