You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2520 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Women, Stress And Heart Disease (NAPSA)—When it comes to heart health and women, the role played by stress can’t be stressed enough. This is in addition to other factors, such as diet, physical activity, and genetics that are known to contribute to heart disease in women. According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2008 Stress in America survey, women report experiencing higher levels of stress than men—33 percent of women report an average stress level of 8 or above on a 10point scale (vs. 27 percent of men). “The link between high levels of stress and heart disease is well known and very real,” says Katherine Nordal, Ph.D., executive director for professional practice at the American Psychological Association. “The good news is that by being proactive in their health care decisions and making healthy lifestyle choices, women can successfully manage their levels of stress and minimize their risk of heart disease.” In fact, the tools used to prevent stress are also those often employed to prevent heart disease. A healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as regular physical activity such as walking, yoga or dance, all contribute to a healthy mind and body. APA offers the following tips on how to manage your stress: • Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed? • Identify your sources of stress. What events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Is there anything you can do to change the situation or reduce your stress? • Learn your own stress signals. People experience stress in Healthy Air, Save Money (NAPSA)—Clearing the air in your home could help your family breathe better and save you some cash. That’s the advice from experts who say that the accumulation of everyday dust and dirt—along with pet dander, smoke residue and other contaminants—in a home’s ductwork can cause a number of health problems and boost your utility bills. People with asthma or allergies, and young children and older Photo by: Shutterstock/Andresr Look for healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, exercising or talking things over with friends or family. different ways. Learn to gauge your stress signals. • Recognize how you deal with stress. Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking, drinking alcohol and over/undereating) to cope. • Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities such as meditation, exercising or talking things over with friends or family. • Take care of yourself. Eat right, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and engage in regular physical activity, such as yoga, taking a short walk, going to the gym or playing sports. • Reach out for support. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to manage stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors. To learn more about stress and mind/body health, visit the American Psychological Association’s Help Center at www.apahelpcenter.org. Cleaning the air ducts in your home could help keep your family healthy. adults, may be especially susceptible to indoor air contaminants. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) says that airhandler units should be inspected once a year and cleaned as needed. When hiring an HVAC inspection, maintenance and restoration contractor, the EPA recommends only the use of service providers that comply with NADCA air duct cleaning standards. For more information, call (202) 737-2926 or visit www.nadca.com. Business Executives See Financial Crisis Improving By Year-End (NAPSA)—In a sign that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, four out of five middlemarket executives believe that the financial crisis will bottom out this year, according to a study by CIT, a leading provider of financing and advisory services to the middle market. The study, “U.S. Middle Market Outlook 2009: Navigating the Credit Crunch,” which surveyed senior-level financial decision makers at middle-market companies (those with annual revenues between $25 million and $1 billion), found that a majority of middlemarket executives expect stable or growing revenues as they actively focus on implementing operating efficiencies, managing their cash flow and spending more effectively. “These findings are in line with what we are seeing,” said Jim Hudak, co-head of corporate finance at CIT. “Despite the current economic crisis, middle-market firms continue to demonstrate their resiliency and ability to adapt as they look for the market to improve.” Middle-market companies, a key component of the U.S. economy, account for more than $6 trillion in sales and employ about 32 million Americans. The report highlighted how these executives are managing the economic crisis and revealed their outlook. Key findings from the study included: • Four out of five respondents indicated that the financial crisis will bottom out this year, with 28 percent predicting it will happen Many business executives believe the financial crisis will soon improve. within six months and 52 percent saying it will happen in six to 12 months. • A majority of middle-market executives expect stable (23 percent) or growing (41 percent) revenues. Of those who expect their revenues to grow, 73 percent said they would support this growth by improving operating efficiencies as they manage cash flow and spend more effectively. • Respondents indicated that cash-flow financing was the No. 1 form of financing that they will use in the next 12 months and 31 percent said working capital needs was the No. 1 item for which they might use any financing. • When asked how the crisis has affected their business, nearly two-thirds said it has had a significant or moderate impact, while one-third said it has had a slight impact or no impact at all. Learn More To view the complete report or to listen to podcasts about the study, visit http://middlemarket. cit.com.