Roundup: Heart Disease and Genes, Portion Control and More

Looking for health news? Check out these news roundups from Life Line Screening. Below, we examine headlines featuring a study on heart disease and genes, a portion control guide infographic and the Mediterranean diet’s effect on diabetes.

IS HEART DISEASE IN YOUR GENES?

In an ABC News article, study results found that one type of cholesterol that we’ve never heard of may be one of the leading causes of heart disease, and it develops from an abnormality in the genes.

Specifically, this type of cholesterol seems to be the primary cause of aortic stenosis, a serious heart conditions that affects more than 1.5 million Americans. The condition involves the narrowing of the main valve that regulates blood flow between the heart and the rest of the body. This condition typically shows very few symptoms until it reaches a dangerous point that can involve heart attacks or even death.

Life Line Screening offers cardiovascular screenings to detect risk of conditions that often don’t show symptoms. Learn more about these health screenings now, or read the full article on the study linking a certain type of cholesterol to the human genes here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cholesterol-heart-disease-trigger-genes/story?id=18424425

VISUAL GUIDE TO PORTION CONTROL [INFOGRAPHIC]

In some circumstances, the solution to a healthy and nutritious diet along with healthy weight loss isn’t necessarily cutting out every food you enjoy. With proper portion control, you can still enjoy a piece of chocolate every now and then.

This new infographic from Ragan’s Health Care Communication News visually demonstrates the right amounts of certain foods like hummus, chocolate brownies, meat and more. For instance, a healthy portion of daily whole grains, which is about a half of a cup, should be no bigger than a light bulb. A healthy portion of a baked or mashed potato should be no larger than a computer mouse. Get the idea?

See the entire portion control infographic here: http://www.healthcarecommunication.com/SocialMedia/Articles/10315.aspx

HOW A MEDITERRANEAN DIET IS GOOD FOR DIABETES

A Mediterranean diet emphasizes healthy fats like olive oil, nutritious vegetables and small portions of lean meats. It is now being considered an optimal diet for people with diabetes because of its ability to lower blood sugars.

Results compiled from 20 studies found that of all diets testing on adults with type 2 diabetes, Mediterranean diets, low-carb diets, high-protein diets and low glycemic index diets all lowered the participants’ blood sugars. This is said to be because all of these types of diets rank foods by how quickly their carbs turn into glucose.

The results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read more about the study results and what the lead author had to say about it here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/us-diet-diabetes-idUSBRE9150ZU20130206