Reducing the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death: It Starts with Fundamentals Sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains one of the leading causes of natural death in the United States. What makes it especially concerning is that many individuals who experience a sudden cardiac event were unaware they were at elevated risk including many women. The good news? Lifestyle matters profoundly. What the Research Shows A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study, which followed approximately 81,000 women over 26 years. Researchers evaluated four core lifestyle factors and their association with risk of sudden cardiac death: Not smoking Maintaining a Body Mass Index (BMI) under 25 Exercising at least 30 minutes daily Following a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern (rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish, and moderate alcohol intake) Each individual factor was associated with significant reductions…

It is now considered normal to lose cognitive function as you age -- to experience diminished memory, reasoning and speed in processing information. This "normal" age-related cognitive decline is contrasted to dementias, like Alzheimer's, which are much more debilitating and include severe nerve cell damage and death of nerve cells. In fact, age-related cognitive decline and dementia are the same thing. What you call it is a matter of degree, and it is primarily a product of our unhealthy diets and lifestyles.Maintaining a youthful brain does, however, require superior nutrition from both diet and high-quality supplements. A brain support program would include the B vitamins and the antioxidant vitamins A, C, D and E. Fish or flax oil is a must, and the need for it increases with age.By middle age, it's best to be supplementing with CoQ10, acetyl-L-carnitine, and multiple B vitamins. (Deficiencies in vitamin B12 are common and often misdiagnosed as dementias or…