Living Well Blog

Here’s a little secret about your heart: Your ticker loves it when you sleep.Good, consistent sleep is great for our heart. Poor sleep, not so much.Sleep helps everything from our immune system to our mental health. But our heart also benefits.Let’s start with blood pressure. When we sleep, our… See more

You’re at a sports bar and would like to get something somewhat healthy. Your first instinct may be to order a salad, but surprisingly, you might be better off with a burger. Yes, many burgers are high in saturated fat, sodium and preservatives. And some experts consider eating a lot of red meat to… See more

Nearly half of American adults have hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure. If not properly managed, this condition can lead to severe medical complications including heart disease, stroke, and even death.  Luckily, there are many steps you can take to manage this common… See more

Because there are no symptoms associated with the condition, high cholesterol is known as a silent killer.  According to the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just over a third of U.S. adults — 86 million — have high levels of “bad cholesterol,” or LDL-C, doubling… See more

Not getting enough sleep is linked to various health issues – from heart disease to diabetes to obesity. It can exacerbate stress and anxiety and can even lead to mental health issues. It’s also associated with raising the risk of… See more

High blood pressure is major cause of premature death. It’s a primary risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death globally and the reason for about one-third of heart-related emergency department visits. High blood pressure can be very problematic because it usually doesn’t trigger… See more

With winter less than two months away, now is a good time to prepare yourself for colder temperatures, especially if you have health conditions affected by lower temperatures.Circulation, in particular, can be impacted by winter weather. Colder air narrows blood vessels in your toes, fingers and… See more

If you’ve taken part in the MDVIP Wellness Program, you may have had your blood tested for myeloperoxidase or MPO. It’s one of the tests that may be included when your doctor draws blood. MDVIP added this option so physicians would have an additional tool to better identify heart disease risk —… See more

Vegetarianism has gotten a lot of hype over the last 15 years. A lifestyle once written off as earthy crunchy, went mainstream around 2010.There are many reasons people go vegetarian, with the most popular being health. Studies suggest a vegetarian lifestyle may help: 
•   … See more

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a 23 percent higher chance of having a heart attack than patients with normal guts, according to a study presented at an American College of Cardiology meeting.IBD is an umbrella term for conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the… See more