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 symptoms. There aren’t any warning signs to alert you that something is wrong. This is why it’s commonly referred to as “the silent killer.”

You’re probably already familiar with the concept of lifespan, which refers to how many years a person is alive. Your health span is a newer concept for many people referring to the number of healthy, disease-free years of life you experience.

Intermittent fasting (IF), which is also called time-restricted eating, occurs when you limit eating to a short window of time and then eat nothing and fast for another set duration before eating again. Research shows that this approach, like other methods of calorie-restricted dieting, can work if you’re overweight and trying to lose weight.

While it isn’t a magic cure for losing weight, research increasingly shows that intermittent fasting, which is known in the weight-loss world as time-restricted eating plans, has promise and may be a smart strategy for some people trying to lose weight.

But what’s really interesting about fasting are all the other health-related benefits researchers think it might have. Better chronic condition management. Disease prevention. Increased lifespan.

When you enter the waiting room of MDVIP affiliate Dr. Greg in Baton Rouge, you might think you actually walked into an art gallery. The warm and welcoming waiting room boasts a one-of-a-kind, original artwork made by a local artist. Created by a longtime MDVIP patient and titled “Doc’s Curbside Service,” the drawing features Dr. Ferrara caring for a patient in the tumultuous early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Ticks are known for causing a wide range of illnesses, with the most common being Lyme disease - a bacterial illness that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are about 475,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year in the U.S.; however, only about 36,000 cases are reported to the CDC.  

It’s common for people to experience the flu differently. In some people, the flu triggers intense cold-like symptoms, while others have life-threatening problems. 

Influenza is a virus responsible for about 9 million illnesses, 4 million medical visits, 10,000 hospitalizations and 35,000 deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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 skin, causing heat loss. In turn, the heart works harder to pump blood throughout the body to maintain your body temperature. And when it does, it also raises the heart rate and blood pressure.

From annual physicals to acute care for minor injuries and illnesses that come up, primary care is an essential part of healthcare. But what happens when you need care beyond what a primary care physician or PCP can provide?

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 help identify heart disease risk— elevated MPO levels are linked to heart attack risk.