"rachael simpson" wrote in message
...
Just a head's up for anyone interested....

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Deer hunting could be a dangerous endeavor for
men with heart disease or risk factors for it, research findings suggest.
~snipped~
SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, July 15, 2007.

There's about a dozen major triggers for heart attacks established by
Harvard Medical School*. I figure this particular "in depth scientific
study" was done by somebody who wanted to write off a free hunting trip all
in the name of research. Having lived and hunted (deer, elk, bear, moose,
cougar) in prime Montana/Idaho mountain country; these "twenty five
subjects" sound like the big city desk jockies I saw who showed up in the
fall to pay out a few grand for a week's worth of guided Daniel Boone
fantasies to mount a dead animal on their wall to serve no other purpose
than bragging rights.

*from HARVARD HEALTH PUBLICATIONS
Harvard Medical School

Waking from sleep. Long before you wake up, your body prepares for a new day
by trickling stress hormones into the bloodstream. They signal small blood
vessels to constrict, make your heart beat faster, and begin boosting your
blood pressure from its sleep-time low. This activity ensures adequate blood
flow through your blood vessels by the time you are ready to get out of bed.
It's no coincidence that cardiovascular problems peak between 6 a.m. and
noon. The slight dehydration that occurs during sleep may contribute to this
early morning peak, as may the overnight fade in protection from blood
pressure drugs and other heart medicines.

Heavy physical exertion. Shoveling snow, lifting heavy objects, running, and
other types of strenuous physical activity can trigger heart attacks,
strokes, and cardiac arrests. Don't take this as a reason to stop
exercising. In fact, the opposite is true - exertion is much less likely to
cause trouble in people who exercise regularly than in those who don't.

Anger. A furious argument or gut-churning anger can provoke a heart attack,
stroke, or cardiac arrest. In two large studies, a bout of anger increased
the chances of having a heart attack between ninefold and 14-fold over a
two-hour period following the anger-provoking event. A study presented at
last year's American Heart Association meeting showed that anger often
preceded shocks from implanted cardioverter-defibrillators, pacemaker-like
devices used to halt potentially deadly, fast or chaotic heart rhythms.

Natural disasters and war. Heart attacks and cardiac arrests spiked abruptly
on the day of the early-morning earthquake in Northridge, Calif., in 1994.
Israeli researchers saw spikes in heart attacks during the first week of
Iraqi missile attacks in 1991, while New Jersey researchers found a 49%
increase in heart attacks within a 50-mile radius of the World Trade Center
immediately after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Weather. Severe heat waves, such as the ones that struck Europe in 2003 or
the Midwest in 1995, increase heart-related deaths. Cold weather triggers
cardiovascular problems, too - in the United States, deaths from heart
disease peak in December and January.

Air pollution. Breathing air full of tiny particles from car, bus, and truck
tailpipes and fuel-burning factories or electricity generators is a trigger
for heart attack and stroke.

Infections. Pneumonia, the flu, and upper respiratory infections are potent
triggers for stroke and heart attack. Urinary tract infections have also
been linked to strokes.

Sexual activity. Sexual activity briefly raises heart attack risk. Sex with
a new partner in an unfamiliar setting increases the risk more than sex with
a familiar partner in a familiar setting.

Overeating. A heavy meal, especially one that is chock-full of saturated fat
or carbohydrates, can raise the risk of having a heart attack by temporarily
making blood more likely to clot, interfering with blood vessels' ability to
relax and contract, or increasing the heart rate and release of stress
hormones.

Other triggers. These include grief, lack of sleep, mental and work-related
stress, the use of cocaine and other "recreational" drugs, holidays, and
sporting events (like the World Cup) if your team loses.

BTW, there have been many studies done that show that avid gardeners are
healthier, both physically. emotionally and mentally than their non
gardening counterparts. I take this to mean us gardening folk will live long
and not be crazy, eccentric and a little quirky perhaps, but seldom
certifiable.

Val