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stairs

Taking the Stairs May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease and Early Death

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Choosing the stairs instead of the elevator may be one of the simplest ways to work more heart-healthy movement into your day, according to new research from the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

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night owl

Being A ‘Night Person’ Could Be Bad For Your Heart

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If you consider yourself more of a night owl, you may want to ensure you’re taking good care of your heart health. A large study has recently found that people who are more active late at night have poorer overall heart health when compared to the average person who goes to bed at a reasonable hour/gets the recommended amount of sleep every night. 

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that those who tend to stay up late should be immediately frightened. Research fellow Sina Kianersi of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who led the study, said that “it’s not like night owls are doomed.” 

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“The challenge is the mismatch between your internal clock and typical daily schedules that make it harder to follow heart-healthy behaviors.”

Kianersi actually considers himself to be “sort of a night owl,” according to AP, and described how he feels a “boost in [his] analytical thinking” after about 7 or 8 at night. 

Heart health is extremely important, and heart disease alone is the leading cause of death in the US. The American Heart Association has a list of eight key factors that every individual should adopt for having and maintaining a healthy heart. These factors include getting enough sleep and having a healthy diet. 

When it comes to individuals who are considered night owls specifically, the impact on the heart has more so to do with the internal body’s circadian rhythm, “our master biological clock.”

That clock follows a roughly 24-hour schedule that regulates when we’re sleepy, and also wide awake, while keeping our organ systems in sync. This regulation impacts our heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones, and metabolism. 

“Everybody’s circadian rhythm is a little different. Prior research had suggested night owls might have more health problems, as well as risk factors like higher rates of smoking and less physical activity than people with more typical bedtimes,” Kianersi said to AP. 

Kianersi’s team tracked over 300,000 middle-age and older adults in the UK Biobank, which is a large health database that includes information regarding individual’s sleep-wake preferences. 

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They found that around 8% of those people classified themselves as night owls, specifically meaning they’re more active both physically and mentally in the late afternoon or evening and are up past most people’s bedtime. Around 25% were early-birds and were more productive in the daylight hours and went to bed earlier. 

Over the course of 14 years, the night owls had a 16% higher risk of a first heart attack or stroke compared to the average population, the team found. 

The researchers reported their findings this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The report cited that especially in women night owls, there is an overall worse cardiovascular health based on meeting the heart association’s eight key factors. 

“It comes down to the problem of a night owl trying to live in a morning person’s world. They’re getting up early for work because that’s when their job starts but it may not align with their internal rhythm,” said Kristen Knutson of Northwestern University.

Knutson also stated that this impacts more than just sleep. One’s metabolism fluctuates throughout the day as the body produces insulin to turn food into energy, meaning it may be harder for a night owl to handle a high-calorie breakfast eaten earlier in the day. 

Kianersi said that even if you can’t get the ideal of at least seven hours of sleep a night, sticking to a regular bedtime and wake up time can help your body. 

“Focus on the basics, not perfection.” 

smoking

Study Finds Even Two Cigarettes a Day Can Significantly Raise Heart Disease Risk

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A new long-term analysis is challenging common assumptions about “light smoking,” suggesting that even very small amounts of tobacco exposure may substantially heighten the risk of heart disease and premature death.

The research, published Tuesday in PLOS Medicine, followed more than 320,000 U.S. adults for nearly two decades. Johns Hopkins University scientists found that just two cigarettes per day or as few as 100 cigarettes across an entire lifetime were tied to markedly worse health outcomes.

Overall mortality was 60% higher among people who smoked at this low level compared with individuals who had never smoked. Their risk of developing heart disease was 50% higher, the study reported.

Cardiologists say the findings reinforce what decades of research have already hinted at: that even small doses of tobacco can undermine cardiovascular health.

“Tobacco use is a very well-established risk factor for heart disease,” said Dr. Jennifer Miao, a cardiologist at Yale University and an ABC News Medical Unit fellow.

“It really damages the blood vessel lining, and it accelerates the development of plaques and coronary artery disease.”

She noted that tobacco exposure is also associated with problems like atrial fibrillation and stroke.

One of the study’s most concerning observations is that simply reducing cigarette consumption didn’t appear to erase the long-term consequences. Current smokers faced the highest dangers, but even former smokers carried elevated heart disease risks in some cases, persisting more than twenty years after quitting.

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Dr. Erfan Tasdighi, the study’s co-author and an internal medicine physician at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said the results should push clinicians to counsel patients toward full cessation, not merely reduction, because “no amount” appears safe.

“We actually have the evidence to say that even less than one cigarette a day can increase different multiple cardiovascular outcomes, and it’s not something that’s clinically insignificant.”

Despite dramatic drops in overall smoking rates in the United States, from about 42% of adults in 1965 to roughly 12% in 2022, according to the American Lung Association, the landscape of smoking has changed. The share of people who smoke fewer than 15 cigarettes per day has increased 85% over the same period, representing a growing group of “light smokers” who may underestimate their risks.

“In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people who still smoke, but smoke less. As smoking patterns shift with more people smoking fewer cigarettes, it’s important to understand the cardiovascular risks of low-intensity smoking and the long-term benefits of quitting,” said study author Michael J. Blaha, M.D., M.P.H.

“This study, reflecting more than 320,000 U.S. adults over 20 years, gives us the statistical power to see relationships that other smaller studies cannot.”

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These shifting patterns mean physicians must adapt how they evaluate tobacco exposure, the authors argued. Traditional metrics, such as the number of packs smoked a year, may overlook the dangers of intermittent or low-intensity smoking.

“Clinicians need a more nuanced approach that incorporates other ways to identify and quantify cigarette use, like smoking status and smoking intensity,” Miao said.

Still, experts emphasize the difficulty many people face when trying to stop smoking entirely.

“It’s very, very important for us as clinicians to acknowledge that it’s a lot easier said than done.”

Miao encourages physicians to identify smokers who are struggling and connect them with cessation medications, counseling services, and other evidence-based support.

The researchers reported that the benefits of quitting accumulate most dramatically in the first decade after cessation. Yet even as the body begins healing right away, it may take many years for former smokers to approach the risk levels of people who never smoked.

Tasdighi stressed that early improvements shouldn’t be underestimated. “It’s important that people know that when they stop smoking, their risk goes down immediately and significantly,” he said.

Miao agreed, saying the research’s biggest message is straightforward. “It’s important to quit smoking early on, and no amount of smoking is without risk and health consequences,” she said.

running

To Lower Heart Disease Risk, Men Need Twice As Much Exercise As Women

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According to new research published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, in order to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, men need twice as much the amount of exercise as women. The scientists who were a part of the study said that healthy living guidelines need to take more of an account of the biological differences in the sexes to truly help everyone reduce the risk of developing heart disease, or other diseases for that matter. 

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Scientists in the study looked at physical activity records from over 80,000 people, according to reports. They found that the risk of heart disease decreased 30% in women who got up to 250 minutes of exercise every week, while men needed to hit 530 minutes (about nine hours) to have the same effect. 

The study also cited previous research which suggested that women benefit more than men from the same level and amount of exercise, however, it also showed that women are, in general, less physically active and less likely to meet the recommended targets. 

NHS guidelines state that men and women from ages 16 to 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, and also perform muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. 

“Compared with male individuals, females derive equivalent health benefits with only half the exercise time. The findings might have potential to encourage females to engage in physical activity,” the authors wrote. 

Utilizing the UK Biobank project, Dr. Jiajin Chen at Xiamen University in China and his team analyzed data from activity trackers worn by middle-aged volunteers. 

They initially reviewed data from 80,243 participants who did not have coronary heart disease. Within that group, women who did 150-minutes of exercise a week had a 22% lower risk of developing heart disease over eight years of following up when compared to those who did not reach that target. For men, the risk was 17% lower. 

The team revealed that it also showed that women could reduce their heart disease risk by 30% through exercising for 250 minutes a week. Men only achieved this rate by reaching 530 minutes of physical activity weekly. 

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The study also showed that of more than 5,000 men and women who already had coronary heart disease, the risk of dying was three times lower for women who met the weekly exercise target than for active men. 

Professor Yan Wang, a senior author on the paper, said “the work showed both sexes could gain substantial cardiovascular benefit from physical activity.” In general, it’s recommended that everyone gets regular exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce the chances of experiencing health ailments and disease. 

“We particularly hope that our findings could encourage physically inactive females to become more active, thereby reducing their cardiovascular risk,” he said.

While the data showed a pattern, there is no conclusive evidence as to why exercise benefits women more than men in these findings. They hypothesized that it could be due to differences in hormone balances, muscle fibers, or digestion. 

In an accompanying article, Dr Emily Lau, a women’s cardiovascular health specialist at Massachusetts General hospital, stated: 

“This study provides further evidence that one size really does not fit all and challenges us to move from conversation to action. It is time to embed sex-specific strategies into guidelines and to develop tailored interventions to optimize cardiovascular health for women.”

drinks

New Study Reveals Sugary Drinks Linked To Millions Of New Diabetes And Heart Disease Cases 

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According to a new study published in Nature Medicine, sugary drinks are responsible for more than 2.2 million cases of diabetes and 1.1 million new cases of heart disease a year around the world. 

The study highlighted rising health inequalities, citing that Latin America and the Caribbean say sugary drinks contribute to about 24% of new type 2 diabetes cases in 2020. 

In sub-Saharan Africa, they had the greatest percentage increase in diabetes cases from 1990 to 2020, and sugary drinks led to 21% of new diabetes cases and 11% of new heart disease cases. 

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Columbia, Mexico, and South Africa also experienced major rises. Half of new diabetes cases in Columbia were connected to sugary drink consumption. One-third of new diabetes cases in Mexico were also linked with 27.6% of cases in South Africa also being connected. 

Part of the science behind this connection has to do with how quickly sugary drinks are digested. The speed causes a spike in blood-sugar levels and provides little nutritional value. 

“Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations. Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences,” Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the paper’s authors, said.

Around 830 million people have diabetes around the world. A majority of these individuals live in low to middle income countries. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented, unlike type 1. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world with about 17.9 million people dying from the disease annually. 

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“We are seeing a rise in the popularity of sugary drinks fuelled by influencer culture online. In urban centres, young people are targeted by social media influencers that are paid to promote branded sugary drinks to them, filling an information gap left by the lack of school-based nutrition education,” Dr Catherine Kanari, a non-communicable diseases specialist for Amref Health Africa in Kenya, said.

“Ultimately, a rise in diabetes cases risks straining our health system to beyond its limits.”

The authors of the study are hoping that their research will spark greater conversations about the measures that can be taken to help prevent this consistent increase in diabetes and heart disease. They’re calling for more public health compaigns as well as greater regulation on sugary drink advertisements.

“Much more needs to be done, especially in countries in Latin America and Africa where consumption is high and the health consequences severe,” said Mozaffarian. 

“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”

Teaching Preschoolers Healthy Lifestyle Habits Can lower Risk For Heart Disease, Study Says

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A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that introducing healthy lifestyle habits to kids at a young age can lower their risk of developing heart disease later in life. Healthy lifestyle habits include staying active, eating five portions of fruits/vegetables, and reducing overall salt intake. 

“The SI! Program (Salud Integral – Comprehensive Health) was developed as a multilevel and multi-component school-based program for the promotion of cardiovascular health and achieving lasting lifestyle changes in children from preschool age. It was implemented in three countries from the year 2009 onwards,” said Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, general director at Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), director of Mount Sinai Heart and principal investigator of the project.

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The authors reviewed the results which were taken over a period of 10 years, and surveyed more than 3,800 children aged between three to five from 50 schools across Colombia, Spain, and the US. The children were mainly assessed on how their knowledge, habits, and attitudes changed towards a healthy lifestyle. 

Those who participated in the program itself showed a significant increase in knowledge, attitude, and habits that support a healthy lifestyle. Fuster explained that they were able to analyze the success of the program by focusing on the maturation of the children, and changing the questionnaires to adapt with them as they get older. 

Children who received more than 75% of the program had a significant change from the baseline of their overall knowledge, attitudes, and habits, especially when compared to the children who received less than 50% of the program. 

 “The school environment is a great area to introduce healthy lifestyle interventions because children are spending so much of their time there,”  said Rodrigo Fernández-Jiménez, MD, PhD, and author on the study. 

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“There are specific times in a child’s life when improvements can be made to enhance long-term cardiovascular health status. Our review, and previous studies, suggest that four to five years of age is the most favorable time to start a school-based intervention focused on healthy habits.”

“Most preschool interventions focus solely on physical activity and diet. The SI! Program breaks down cardiovascular health into four components. Through the first two components, children are learning how a well-balanced diet and physically active life are directly connected to a healthy heart. Next, they learn about emotion management, which seeks to instill behavior mechanisms against substance abuse – mainly smoking – and dietary decisions later in life. Finally, the children are taught about how the human body works and how it is affected by behavior and lifestyle,” said Gloria Santos-Beneit, PhD, and lead author of the study.

In the future, the authors hope to put a greater focus on the involvement of the families of the children in the study. Socioeconomic status has a major influence on how easy it can be for a child and family to maintain healthy lifestyle habits, so the authors of the study are looking for ways to intervene and make it more accessible to them. 

“Further research is needed to identify specific socioeconomic status factors that influence child health and effectiveness of intervention in the long term, and the issue of sustainability or need for re-intervention,” Fuster said.

Bowl of Cheerios

Cheerios Bringing Back Heart Shaped O’s To Promote Heart-Healthy Lifestyle 

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Cheerios is America’s number-one cereal brand. They’re classic shape, flavor options, and nutritional value has been a staple in leading a healthy lifestyle for decades now. The company recently announced that they would be bringing back happy-heart shaped cheerios to help promote a heart-healthy lifestyle. 

The heart-shaped cheerios will appear for the original yellow-box Cheerios, along with the Honey Nut flavor which were the two options that originally changed shape in the 2019 campaign. Additionally, Cheerios is announcing new flavors as a part of the campaign including Blueberry, Cinnamon, and Chocolate.

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The limited-edition boxes will begin distribution at major retailers at the end of the month. Cheerios also announced that they would be giving away a free box of Honey Nut Cheerios via rebate all throughout the month of February; while supplies last. That promotion is to drive awareness for National Heart Health Month; heart disease is the number one killer in the world. The company took to Twitter this week to express their excitement over the return of this campaign.

“When we launched the happy-heart shaped O’s last year, it helped educate the millions of our fans about the importance of not only following a heart-healthy diet, but also about the benefits of eating Cheerios.” 

Kathy Dixon, Senior Brand Experience Manager to Cheerios also took to Twitter to express how “Cheerios is on a mission to not only put a smile on people’s faces, but to inspire them to find new and fun ways to support their hearts. With the launch of our happy-heart shapes O’s, Cheerios wants to encourage people to adopt simple, fun behaviors that get them active like walking the dog, joining an online group fitness class and eating three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods.”

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, nearly 1 in 3 Americans have high cholesterol. To help support a healthy heart and prevent things like heart disease and raised cholesterol levels, health officials recommend practicing healthy living habits such as maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough physical activity, and eating a diet that promotes a healthy-heart. 

The CDC has long recommended eating foods with whole grain oats to help lower cholesterol levels; hence why Cheerios has been the symbol for a heart-healthy diet for as long as it’s existed; at the base of all Cheerio flavors is whole grain oats

According to Cheerios, “The limited-edition Cheerios boxes with happy heart shapes will be available at major retailers nationwide starting in late January, while supplies last. The Honey Nut Cheerios free box giveaway will also be available via rebate up to $7.00 excluding tax. Americans can redeem by scanning their receipt during the month of February, while supplies last, to receive their rebate via Venmo, PayPal or US mail.”

To learn more information about how you can receive a free box of Honey Nut Cheerios in February visit www.freeHoneyNutCheerios.com

Olive Oil

Half A Tablespoon Of Olive Oil A Day Can Improve Your Heart Health

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According to the 2020 U.S. and World Health Report, the Mediterranean diet was voted the best diet to try for healthy eating as well as the easiest diet to follow. Now, thanks to some new research, we have greater insight into why that may be. Olive oil is one of the diets main components, in fact, it’s involved in pretty much every dish you could make if you’re following the proper recipes. Thanks to some new research presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions, we’ve learned that olive oil helps boost heart health and contains a myriad of other positive health benefits. 

The data itself that was presented at these sessions analyzed research dating back to the early 1990’s. One of the biggest conclusions proved that ingesting more than ½ tablespoon of olive oil every day can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 15%; it also can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 21%!

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This isn’t the first time that scientists have found that olive oil has amazing benefits for heart health, however it is the first time that all the research was done strictly analyzing subjects living in the United States. Marta Guasch-Ferre, PhD and lead author of the study claimed that “mostly, these associations have been shown in the past in Mediterranean and European populations, but until now, there was no previous study that showed results in a U.S. population.”

“Olive oil is a simple way to replace unhealthy, saturated, and trans-fatty acids of animal fats with a source of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol. It has also been associated with improved vascular function, heart health, and survival,” according to Dr. Benjamin Hirsh, who also was involved in the study.

These health benefits have already been understood amongst individuals in the medical industry, however, they just weren’t aware of the full extent of it all especially within the US population. Olive oil can be used to replace practically all animal-based fats; such as butter or mayonnaise which are obviously much less healthy when it comes to digestive/heart health. 

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What also surprised the researchers behind the study was that these benefits are not exclusive to just olive oil. In fact, many other plant derived oils also have positive effects on overall heart health such as corn, safflower and soybean oil. However Guasch-Ferre wanted to emphasize in her findings that not nearly the same amount of research has been done with other plant oils compared to olive oil, especially in regard to heart health specifically, but the initial findings are still promising. 

“While olive oil was better than animal fat when we did the substitution analysis, they were not superior to vegetable oils. This means that other vegetable oils could be a healthy alternative compared to animal fat, especially because they tend to be more affordable in the U.S. compared to olive oil,” Guasch-Ferre stated.

One thing that Guasch-Ferre also wishes they could’ve done more analysis on was studying the different effects of different types of olive oil, such as virgin or extra virgin. There’s already been some evidence that shows extra virgin olive oil is much better at helping your body with protein production, as well as helping reduce intestinal inflammation, so it would be interesting to see the concrete data between different varieties of olive oil and their different health outcomes. 

The final point of this study was to emphasize the heart health benefits of olive oil, but also reinforce that good heart health in general is the result of good diet, physical activity, and frequent visits to the doctor. The Mediterranean diet is still the most recommended among healthcare professionals, as it doesn’t limit the options of what one can have, but does enforce healthier ingredients and lifestyle choices.

Woman Enjoying the Day

U.S. Life Expectancy Increases For The First Time In Years

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The life expectancy of the average U.S. citizen has gone up for the first time since 2014. A major contributing factor to this is likely the fact that cancer death rates have declined the most they have in U.S. history within the past year. Additionally, drug overdose deaths, whether intentional or unintentional, have also seen a major decrease since 2018, some good news for a country that’s typically always devastated by physical and mental health statistics. 

The reports come from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and went on to emphasize how drug overdose deaths have decreased by 4% nationwide since 2018, a shocking statistic considering the increasing threat of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s caused countless accidental overdoses; including that of famous rapper Mac Miller who passed away in September 2018. 

However, the CDC credits the overall increase in life expectancy to the decrease in deaths caused by cancer or heart disease; the two leading causes of death in the world. The average American now has a life expectancy of 78.7 years, which is one tenth of a year more than what the CDC said in 2017. While one tenth of a year may not seem like that big of a deal, in terms of preventable and unpreventable causes of death it says a lot, especially to the professionals who are working with those who are sick with these diseases; it indicates to them that what they’re doing is working, even if it’s just a little.  

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“While modest, it’s really great news that the data shows progress. We have to be a little bit optimistic that some of our approaches to the problems worked, but let’s strike while the iron’s hot. I credit [the decline in overdose rates to] the overdose antidote, naloxone, which states and cities have made available so emergency workers and others can save the lives of people overdosing on opiods. But naloxone is a last resort that doesn’t get at the root causes of why people turn to drugs or suicide,” said psychologist Benjamin Miller, chief strategy officer at the non profit Well Being Trust.

Miller is referring to the stigma surrounding mental health and its relation to addiction. The fact is, substance abuse and addiction isn’t seen by general society as a real illness because it has to do with will-power and your brain, not multiplying cancer cells that you have no control over in your organs. However, mental illness is just as severe as physical illness, and the statistics can back up that both are just as uncontrollable and deadly. 

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Destigmatizing addiction and expanding accessible mental health resources won’t fix everything, but it’s definitely a start, and the new data from the CDC proves that it works too. Miller emphasized this point as well, stating that within the past few years medication-assisted treatment for those addicted to opioids has become more accessible. This is extremely important as addiction to opioids specifically has become one of the biggest health epidemics the U.S. has ever endured. 

Before this new data, for the past three years the U.S. has seen a relatively steady decline in life expectancy due to disease and accidental death rates. Drug overdoses are looped into this conversation because they account for over a third of all accidental deaths in the U.S.. Accidental deaths are within the top 10 leading causes of death as well, and that top 10 has remained stagnant as well for the past few years. 

Other top leading causes of death in the U.S. include pneumonia when coupled with the flu, heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries that lead to unexpected complications, lower respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and suicide. By further opening up these conversations regarding mental health and addiction, we can at least work on preventing some of those top 10 causes from increasing while we let medical and mental health professionals work on the rest.

Healthy Lifestyle

Study Finds That a Healthy Lifestyle can Add a Decade of Life Free From Disease

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Everyone knows that practicing healthy habits, such as dieting, exercising, and avoiding cigarettes, can extend one’s life span and improve one’s quality of life. However, it can be difficult to conceptualize exactly how much of a benefit these habits offer in one’s life, as it’s easy for these metrics to become somewhat abstract. As such, a study published in the British Medical Journal sought to quantify exactly how much a healthy lifestyle benefits one’s life, and found that practicing a healthy lifestyle can expand one’s disease-free lifespan by an average of ten years.

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The study looked at five factors associated with a healthy lifestyle, which included drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating well. The study, which looked at more than 100,000 people, found that people who practiced four of these five traits lived as much as ten years longer without diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, than people who practiced none of these habits. Not only does a healthy lifestyle allow people to live longer lives, but the quality of life increases when people practice healthy lifestyle habits, as the risk of developing diseases decreases dramatically.

Specifically, the study found that women who practiced any four of the five traits in question lived an average of 84 years without disease, whereas women who practiced none of the five habits only lived an average of 74 years without disease. Likewise, men with four out of the five healthy habits lived to 81 years old without disease, whereas men who practiced none of the healthy habits lived to 73 years old without disease. The most unhealthy characteristics a person can have, the study found, were smoking more than 15 cigarettes a day or having a BMI greater than 30, which is defined as obesity.

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While the study shows that moderate drinking is far healthier than heavy drinking, it’s important to note that other studies have shown that no amount of alcohol is good for you, despite persistent rumors that suggest that having a glass of wine with dinner can improve one’s health. In fact, using recreational drugs at all is widely considered to have either a neutral or a negative impact on one’s health, and definitely not a positive one. Instead of relying on drugs as a method of reducing stress, doctors recommend other methods that help to both relieve stress and improve health. Regular exercise, for instance, has been shown to improve one’s overall mood, and meditation, a practice whereby people focus on paying attention to their experiences in the present moment, can improve mental health as well. If, like most people, you’re concerned about extending the longevity and quality of your life, it’s not a bad idea to think about the various ways in which your current lifestyle habits might contribute to disease and develop strategies to improve your lifestyle habits.