Calorie-Restricted Diet Keeps Heart Young

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120606092535.htm

ScienceDaily (June 6, 2012) — People who restrict their caloric intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that function more like those in people who are 20 years younger.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a key measure of the heart's ability to adapt to physical activity, stress, sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood, doesn't decline nearly as rapidly in people who have significantly restricted their caloric intake for an average of seven years.

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"But we can't be absolutely positive that the practice of CR is solely responsible for the flexibility of the cardiovascular system," Stein says. "People who practice CR tend to be very healthy in other areas of life, too, so I'm pretty sure they don't say to themselves, 'Okay, I'll restrict my calorie intake to lengthen my life, but I'm still going to smoke two packs a day.' These people are very motivated, and they tend to engage in a large number of very healthy behaviors."