Do you know the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack? More than 70 percent of Americans mistakenly believe sudden cardiac arrest is a type of heart attack, says the Washington, D.C.-based Heart Rhythm Society. SCA is an electrical malfunction of the heart, while an attack is a blockage interrupting blood flow to the heart. Visit the society's Web site, www.hrsonline.org, for new data on cardiac arrests and the 2009 National ICD (implantable defibrillator cardioverter) Registry tracking how these devices work.

Fitness legend Jack LaLanne shares his advice and fitness and nutrition tips in Live Young Forever: 12 Steps to Optimum Health, Fitness and Longevity (Robert Kennedy Publishing, $19.95). He says at age 95 he doesn't feel any different than he did at 25, although he says he's not as strong or nimble. In addition to specific exercises and loads of information on fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods, he offers advice on how to stay motivated and the importance of a meaningful relationship with a mate.

The smartest way to taper before a running race? Reduce mileage, but not intensity, says Ed Eyestone, Brigham Young University's coach in the November issue of Runner's World. He said researchers have found a low-intensity taper before a race produces a slight increase in performance, but a high-intensity taper netted a whopping 22 percent hike on a run-to-fatigue performance test. In order words, Eyestone says, don't slack off right before a race, but focus on short, intense workouts and you'll race better.
Barb Berggoetz