Students preparing for exams are being urged to swap energy drinks and sugary snacks for nutrient-dense foods, The Heart Foundation says. Dietitian Nikita Kelly said foods such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and lean protein can support concentration, memory and steady energy. She advised avoiding ultra-processed foods, which often contain added sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, and choosing options such as fruit or a handful of nuts instead of muesli bars. Kelly said healthy eating works best alongside regular physical activity, quality sleep, hydration and study breaks.
Losing about five per cent of body weight in middle age may restore heart health to levels similar to people who never became overweight, researchers suggest. University College London scientists found that overweight adults who lost a modest amount of weight in their 40s and 50s had comparable cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation markers by age 62. The study analysed data from more than 6,000 people born in Britain in 1958. Researchers said it was observational and cannot prove weight loss directly caused the improvements.
A Brisbane woman who went into cardiac arrest during her morning run a year ago is urging people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Kaley Koppa, 43, collapsed on a bench along the Brisbane River after she slowed down and clutched her arm. Members of the public performed CPR, and a Star Casino security worker used a defibrillator, which Ms Koppa says saved her life. Doctors later declared she had clinically died. Ms Koppa has since learned she has a progressive genetic heart disease and can no longer run.
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Another 12 Victorian towns have graduated as Heart Safe Communities, bringing the state total to 66. The 12-month program, run by Ambulance Victoria and the Heart Foundation, teaches people to recognise cardiac arrest, give CPR and use an automated external defibrillator. Off-duty paramedic Tom Cleaver helped save Adrian Auld in Noojee in May after a public defibrillator at the local hotel was used. Ambulance Victoria director Dr Ziad Nehme urged people to call Triple Zero, push hard and fast on the chest, and shock with a defibrillator.
Researchers in Australia are planning a trial that would give workers paid exercise breaks during their shifts. The Heart Research Institute will lead the 12-month study, which starts next year. It will involve 100 healthcare workers at Nepean Hospital in Western Sydney, who will get 30-minute breaks for activities such as walking, boxing and virtual reality tennis. Cardiologist Faraz Pathan says physical inactivity is costly and that the study will also look at mental health. Participant Lisa Barry says exercise breaks could help her energy and mood.
Nutritionist Susie Burrell says eggs are not the cholesterol problem they were once thought to be, and healthy Australians no longer face a set limit on consumption. She cites a randomised controlled trial led by University of South Australia researchers, in which 61 adults with already low LDL cholesterol ate two eggs a day. Their LDL levels did not rise from the eggs; instead, saturated fat in other foods was the influence. The Heart Foundation has dropped its set egg limit for healthy people, though guidance remains for those at risk of cardiovascular disease.
