Decreasing Calorie Intake may Reduce Burden on Aging Heart

A new study published in the journal Aging Cell reveals that reducing your calorie intake would not only help you fight off putting on those excess kilos, but also reduce the burden on the heart as you grow older. The study was conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis who fitted heart monitors on a group of 22 people who followed a Calorie Restriction diet, consuming 30 percent less calories than normal.

On comparing the results with another group of 20 people who followed a standard Western diets, the researchers found that those who reduced their calorie intakes had a lower heart rate and heart rate variability.

“Higher heart rate variability means the heart can adjust to changing needs more readily Heart rate variability declines with age as our cardiovascular systems become less flexible, and poor heart rate variability is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular death”, lead researcher Phyllis Stein said.

Source-Medindia