Beautiful Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Together, heart disease and stroke, along with other cardiovascular disease, are among the most widespread and costly health problems facing the Nation today, accounting approximately $320 billion in health care expenditures and related expenses annually.  Knowing the signs of a stroke is the first step in stroke prevention. A stroke, sometime called brain attack, occurs when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off. The brain cells, deprived of the oxygen and glucose needed to survive, die.  If a stroke is not caught early, permanent brain damage or death can result.  Causes of coronary heart disease and stroke Healthy blood vessels are flexible, but with age and unhealthy lifestyle choices, they can become thickened and stiff, and this can restrict blood flow around the body. This process is known as arteriosclerosis and is commonly cal...

What is High Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into blood vessels, which carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood out to the body and contributes to hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, to stroke, kidney disease, and to heart failure. What Is "Normal" Blood Pressure? A blood pressure reading is written like this: 120/80. It's read as "120 over 80." The top number is called the systolic, and bottom number is called the diastolic. The ranges are: • Normal: Less than 120 over 80 (120/80) • Elevated: 120-129/less than 80 • Stage 1 high blood pressure: 130-139/80-89 • Stage 2 high blood pressure: 140 and above/90 and above • Hypertension crisis: higher than 180/higher than 120 -- See a doctor right away If your blood pressure is above the normal rang...

Type 2 diabetes People who are middle-aged or older are most likely to get this kind of diabetes, so it used to be called adult-onset diabetes. But type 2 diabetes also affects kids and teens, mainly because of childhood obesity. It’s the most common type of diabetes. There are about 29 million people in the U.S. Type 2 diabetes can be caused by: • Being overweight • Eating a lot of foods or drinks with sugar and simple carbohydrates • Artificial sweeteners (sugar free sodas, sugar free foods) intake • Lack of activity (sedentary behavior) • Lack of exercise • Stress and stress hormones • Genetics The major symptom is often being overweight. Other symptoms and signs include: • Excess thirst • Urinating a lot • Gaining or losing weight unintentionally • Dark skin under armpits, chin, or groin • Fatigue • Unusual odor to urine • Blurry vision The prognosis for a person with this health condition is estimated to be a life expectancy of 10 years less than a pers...

Fat is a living, breathing thing that affects your hormones, inflammation and even the level of toxins in your body. The study’s lead researcher, Willa Hsueh, M.D. says, “the bottom line is, you’re feeding and feeding these fat cells and they’re turning around and biting you back. They’re doing the thing they’re supposed to do — storing energy — but reacting negatively to too much of it.” Excess weight may increase the risk for many health problems, including: • type 2 diabetes • high blood pressure • heart disease and strokes • certain types of cancer • sleep apnea • osteoarthritis • fatty liver disease • kidney disease • type 2 diabetes