Improving your mood and heart

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (UPI) -- Light to moderate aerobic exercise can improve mood for two to four hours following the activity, a researcher at Indiana University said.

"These same positive benefits apply to children," psychologist Jack Raglin said in a statement. "At the same time, it's becoming more and more challenging to find time for kids to have physical activity. Kids are overly scheduled -- parents have to work at finding avenues for activity."

Raglin, who has conducted research examining overtraining syndrome, meditation and other issues involving mood and exercise, said:

-- People are more likely to experience the mood-boosting benefits after aerobic activities such as jogging, lap swimming or cycling, compared to activities such as strength training.

-- The benefits can be experienced after just 20 minutes of light or moderate activity, such as a slow jog.

-- People who are clinically depressed experience the most mood-boosting benefits, but people who generally already are relaxed, with low levels of depression or anxiety, can still experience the feelings of calmness, lowered levels of anxiety and less fatigue.

-- Intense exercise routines can cause depression in otherwise healthy individuals.


Omega 3 reduces mortality in heart failure

FLORENCE, Italy (UPI) -- A daily capsule of omega-3 fish body oil can reduce mortality and admission to the hospital in patients with heart failure, Italian researchers said.

Luigi Tavazzi and Gianni Tognoni of the ANMCO Research Centre in Florence, Italy, and Mario Negri Institute in Milan, Italy, and colleagues said the randomized controlled trial involved 357 cardiology sites in Italy.

Almost 3,500 patients with chronic heart failure received omega-3 in a capsule once daily, while the same number received a placebo.

In the group that received the omega 3 -- 955 patients, or 27 percent died, compared with 1,014, or 29 percent in the placebo group -- meaning a relative risk reduction of 9 percent in the fish body group, Health Day News reported.

The study, published online in the journal The Lancet, said the study shows the long-term administration of 1 g per day omega was effective in reducing both all-cause mortality and admissions to hospital for cardiovascular reasons.