How to be a Smart Healthcare Consumer
When you’re buying a product or a service, the best decision is an informed decision. The same is true for healthcare. Here are some initial steps you can take to be a smart healthcare consumer.
• Select a personal physician who communicates clearly and with whom you feel comfortable.
• Schedule regular exams with your physician and discuss…
–– Women’s Heart Day –– Go Red on February 5!
What’s the #1 killer of American women? The answer, surprising to many, is heart disease. If you think the answer is cancer or some other medical condition, you’re not alone. In a study conducted by the American Heart Association of 1,000 women, only 13 percent knew that coronary heart disease is the greatest health threat for…
Focus on Technology: Cardiac MRI
Imagine being able to watch a live moving image of your heart beating. Sound like science fiction? It’s not. Today, more and more hospitals are using a technology called cardiac MRI that produces some of the most amazingly detailed and sharp images of the heart in action.
A cardiac MRI (which stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a safe, non-invasiv…
Cancer Rates Decline But Disease Still Too Common
April is Cancer Control Month, a good time to highlight the many recent advances in the fight against cancer.
Here’s the good news: cancer rates and deaths have declined for the past two decades, for several reasons Cancer screenings, such as mammograms, have become more effective in detecting the disease earlier when survival rates ar…
Here’s Healthy Hearts
–– Here’s to Healthy Hearts –– Live What You Learn
Fortunately, there are several proactive steps you can take to reduce your risk for heart disease. So take charge!
Stop Smoking: You are two to four times more likely to suffer from heart disease if you continue to smoke.
Reduce Cholesterol and Lower High Blood Pressure: Have your cholesterol and…
-– Here’s to Healthy Hearts –- Are You at Risk?
Unfortunately, there are some risk factors for heart disease over which you have no control.
Age: The older you are, the greater the risk. 80% of heart attacks occur after age 65.
Gender: Men are at greater risk. However, heart disease is also the leading cause of death among women.
Family History: Having a parent or sibling who…
Here’s to Healthy Hearts
February is American Heart Month
As we grow older, life brings us new pleasures. It may be the joy of having grandchildren and seeing them grow up. Or it could be the opportunity to travel or develop a new hobby during retirement.
Unfortunately, growing older also brings with it new medical challenges, including an increased risk for heart disease. More than…
Focus on Technology: Cardiac MRI Science Fiction in Today’s Medicine?
Imagine being able to watch a live moving image of your heart beating. Sound like science fiction? It’s not. Today, more and more hospitals are using a technology called cardiac MRI that produces some of the most amazingly detailed and sharp images of the heart in action.
A cardiac MRI (which stands for Magnetic…
––– Celebrity Spotlight ––– Larry King: Heart Attack Survivor
TV celebrity and talk show host Larry King suffered a heart attack when he was only 53. In February 1987, King started having chest and shoulder pain. He went to the hospital, where he learned he was having a heart attack and needed quintuple bypass surgery.
The surgery was a wake-up call for King. He quit his smoking…
Live What You Learn
Fortunately, there are risk factors you can do something about. So take charge! Here are some proactive steps you can take to reduce your risk for heart disease.
Stop Smoking: You are two to four times more likely to suffer from heart disease if you continue to smoke.
Reduce Your Cholesterol and Lower Your High Blood Pressure: Have your cholesterol and blood pressur…