Colon Cancer Awareness Month – Risks, Symptoms and Treatment
Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. The colon and the rectum are parts of the large intestine, which is the lower part of the body’s digestive system. During digestion, food moves through the stomach and small intestine into the colon. The colon absorbs water and nutrients from the food and […]
Lower Numbers Now Define High Blood Pressure
There’s a new number for high blood pressure and it’s lower than you think. For decades the numbers that defined high blood pressure were 140/90 mm Hg. But this past November, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) issued new comprehensive guidelines that indicate high blood pressure should be treated […]
New Shingles Vaccine soon to be available
In October 2017, the FDA approved a new shingles vaccine, called Shingrix. In January of this year, the CDC officially recommended that adults 50 and over get the new vaccine to prevent this painful, blistering disease instead of the previous one, Zostavax. Shingles is an infection of an individual nerve and the skin surface that […]
Smoking and your digestive health
We’ve all heard that smoking increases the risk of many life-threatening diseases—including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. But did you know that smoking also contributes to many cancers and diseases of the digestive system? Estimates show that about one-fifth of all adults smoke, and each year at least 443,000 Americans die from diseases caused […]
Be Heart Smart
A healthy diet and lifestyle, along with making smart healthcare decisions, can be a pathway to a healthier heart. Your family history can have some impact on your chances of heart disease, but there are some simple steps one can follow that, if you stick to them, can offer long-term heart-health benefits. The American Heart […]