Simple Diet Tips
Ending each day with a big bowl of ice cream and a side of Oreos may sound great, but routinely eating lots of high-fat dairy foods puts your risk of dying young 40 percent higher than that of people who eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy. Those stats come from a new study that concludes a healthy diet makes you feel better and live longer. But if...
Read MoreWatch Thee Waist!
Waist size predicts heart-disease death better than weight Doctors have long known that obesity increases a person’s risk of heart disease, but in recent years the picture has grown more complicated. Several studies have found that a high body mass index is associated with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and other chronic illnesses — a mysterious phenomenon that has come to...
Read MoreOne Cigarette Too Many
Even One Cigarette Can Prove Lethal, U.S. Surgeon General Says Her report emphasizes smoking’s immediate, powerful effects on lungs, heart As little as one cigarette a day, or even just inhaling smoke from someone else’s cigarette, could be enough to cause a heart attack and even death, warns a report released Thursday by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin. “The...
Read MoreCongestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Definition: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart’s function as a pump to deliver oxygen rich blood to the body is inadequate to meet the body’s needs. Congestive heart failure can be caused by: diseases that weaken the heart muscle, diseases that cause stiffening of the heart muscles, or diseases that increase oxygen demand by the body tissue beyond the...
Read MoreChest Pain
Chest Pain If you are having severe pain, crushing, squeezing, or pressure in your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or if the pain moves into your neck, left shoulder, arm, or jaw, go immediately to a hospital emergency department. Do not drive yourself. Call 911 for emergency transport. Chest pain is one of the most frightening symptoms a person can have. It is sometimes...
Read MoreHigh Blood Pressure
What is high blood pressure? High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to all the tissues and organs of the body. High blood pressure does not mean excessive emotional tension, although emotional tension and stress can temporarily increase blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is below ...
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