Healthy habits result in less heart risk

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Women who eat a healthy diet, drink moderately, exercise, keep a healthy weight and do not smoke have a reduced risk of heart attack, a Swedish study found.

Agneta Akesson of the Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, and colleagues identified dietary patterns in 24,444 postmenopausal women by analyzing food frequency questionnaire.

"We derived four major dietary patterns: "healthy" foods such as vegetables, fruits and legumes; "Western/Swedish" -- red meat, processed meat, poultry, rice, pasta, eggs, fried potatoes and fish; alcohol -- wine, liquor, beer and some snacks and "sweets" -- sweet baked goods, candy, chocolate, jam and ice cream," Akesson said in a statement.

Participants also answered questions about education, family history, health status, use of medications, body measurements and physical activity.

When the women enrolled in the study in 1997, none had heart disease, diabetes or cancer.After six years, 308 women had a heart attack with 51 cases fatal.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found the diet types of healthy and alcohol were associated with a reduced risk for heart attack.