Cholesterol is a substance similar to fat found in the bloodstream. The liver and various cells in the body produce cholesterol.

Certain foods, for example eggs, meat and dairy products, contain cholesterol as well. Cholesterol allows the body to manufacture Vitamin D, hormones and bile, acids used in the digestion of fat.

Generally, people are most familiar with cholesterol as it relates to having “good” and “bad” cholesterol readings.

Good cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), assists with ridding the body of low-density lipoproteins (LDL). LDL cholesterol is the type of cholesterol, which can accumulate on the interior walls of the arteries hardening and narrowing them. This condition is called atherosclerosis, which often leads to heart disease. Continue reading →

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 70 million American adults or about 1 out of 3 have high blood pressure and only about 50% of all these people have their elevations in blood pressure under control.

High blood pressure is an expensive illness for this country. In fact, it costs our nation about $46 billion each year.

This includes the cost of receiving healthcare for the disease, purchasing and making medications to treat it and in missed days of work.

High blood pressure or “hypertension” is a risk factor for several other diseases, including stroke and heart attacks. For these reasons, it pays to prevent high blood pressure as much as possible. Continue reading →