Napping to aHealthier Heart?

1 Researchers saythey have developed a simple test that can tell if a person with heart diseaseis

likely to suffer aheart attack.The test measures levels of a protein in the blood.The researcherssay people

with high levels ofthis protein are at high risk of heart attack,heart failure or stroke.

2 KirstenBibbins-Domingo of the University of California in San Francisco led the team.For about

four years,theystudied almost one thousand patients with heart disease.The researchers testedthe heart

disease patients fora protein called NT-proBNP. Patients with the highest levels were nearly eighttimes more

likely than thosewith the lowest levels to have a heart attack,heart failure or stroke.

3 The researcherssay the presence of high levels of the protein in the blood shows that theheart

muscle is underpressure in some way.The study involved mostly men,so the researchers could notsay for

sure that theresults are also true for women.They say the patients with the highest levelsof NT-proBNP

were older and hadother problems like diabetes or high blood pressure.

4 Other researcherssay more studies are needed to confirm if knowing the protein levels of a heart

disease patientshould affect that person’s treatment.They also would like to know if moreaggressive

treatment couldreduce the patient's chance of a heart attack or stroke.The study appeared inthe

Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.

5 Could a littlesleep during the middle of the day reduce the risk of a heart attack?Anunrelated

study earlier thismonth in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that the answer may beyes.In countries

like the United States,afternoonnaps are mostly for children. But they are common for adults in

Mediterraneancountries.And these countries generally have lower rates of heart disease.Soscientists in the

United States and Greece wondered if naps could playa part.Twenty-three thousand healthy adults took part

in the study by Harvard Universityand the University of Athens.Those who tookthirty-minute naps three

times a week had athirty-seven percent lower risk of death from heart problems than people whodid not take

naps.

6 The researcherssay napping may improve heart health by reducing stress.They say the research

suggests that napsare especially good for working men.But they say not enough female subjectsdied during

the study to judgethe benefits for women.So far there havenot been definite data to confirm _______.

A.where fewerpepole die from heart problem

B.whether they havethe risk of heart attack,heart failure or stroke

C.would probablyhave lower rates of heart disease

D.how to test aperson's NT-proBNP level in the blood by himself

E.his heart musclewould be under pressure in some way