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Step into summer in the best shape of your life with these reports from Harvard Medical School.
Learn How

Start your exercise and fitness program and reap the benefits of being more fit, stronger and healthier!

Warmer weather is on the way and it's not too late to get in shape for the summer. These 3 reports can help you enjoy outdoor activities in the best shape of your life:

March 2009 references and further reading

MAR 2009

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Mitral valve prolapse

National Library of Medicine. Mitral valve prolapse resource page.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Mitral valve prolapse.

Foods out of balance

Wells HF, Buzby JC. Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption, 1970-2005. USDA Economic Research Service: Washington DC, 2008.

Atrial fibrillation

National Library of Medicine. Interactive tutorial on atrial fibrillation.

Parmet S, Lynm C, Glass RM. Atrial fibrillation. JAMA 2007; 298:2820.

Singer DE, Albers GW, Dalen JE, et al. Antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (8th Edition). Chest 2008; 133:546S-592S.

Peripheral artery disease

McDermott MM, Ades P, Guralnik JM, et al. Treadmill exercise and resistance training in patients with peripheral arterial disease with and without intermittent claudication: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2009; 301:165-74.

Garg PK, Liu K, Tian L, et al. Physical activity during daily life and functional decline in peripheral arterial disease. Circulation 2009; 119:251-60.

Gasping and CPR

Bobrow BJ, Zuercher M, Ewy GA, et al. Gasping during cardiac arrest in humans is frequent and associated with improved survival. Circulation 2008; 118:2550-4.

Sleep and heart disease

King CR, Knutson KL, Rathouz PJ, Sidney S, Liu K, Lauderdale DS. Short sleep duration and incident coronary artery calcification. JAMA 2008; 300:2859-66.

Mullington JM, Haack M, Toth M, Serrador JM, Meier-Ewert HK. Cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases 2009; 51:294-302.

Blood pressure and cold temperatures

Alperovitch A, Lacombe JM, Hanon O, et al. Relationship between blood pressure and outdoor temperature in a large sample of elderly individuals: the Three-City study. Archives of Internal Medicine 2009; 169:75-80.

Epicardial fat

Chaowalit N, Lopez-Jimenez F. Epicardial adipose tissue: friendly companion or hazardous neighbour for adjacent coronary arteries? European Heart Journal 2008; 29:695-7.

Kim MK, Tomita T, Kim MJ, Sasai H, Maeda S, Tanaka K. Aerobic exercise training reduces epicardial fat in obese men. Journal of Applied Physiology 2009; 106:5-11.

Statins and blood pressure

Strazzullo P, Kerry SM, Barbato A, Versiero M, D'Elia L, Cappuccio FP. Do statins reduce blood pressure?: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Hypertension 2007; 49:792-8.