Metabolife 356 is a caffeine-based weight loss pill that contains herbs such as ginseng, guarana, ginger and ma huang, or ephedra. Manufacturers claim the weight loss pill reduces appetite and increases metabolism. The ingredients are meant to...
Soda has many adverse effects, making it a beverage you should consume sparingly. While some believe that diet soda is better, it, too, has negative health effects and leads many people to make poor diet choices because they feel like the diet...
Inhaling nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke creates changes in the cardiovascular system that can affect other areas of the body. Because heart health problems arise gradually and may be overshadowed by respiratory symptoms, many...
Junk foods such as candy and other sweets, fried snacks, soda pop and some fast-food items all contribute to your cardiovascular risk by upsetting the nutritional balance in your diet. When you get more fat and sugar than fiber, vitamins and...
The National Cholesterol Education Program has established guidelines explaining science-based recommendations on lowering cholesterol to decrease heart disease risk. NCEP has published an entire report describing how lowering low-density...
Essential to life but deadly in excess, cholesterol has been the subject of intense research for a century. This research has produced persuasive evidence that implicates the cholesterol-carrying low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs, as the main...
High cholesterol levels are fueling the national epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke deaths rank third. Together, they have cost Americans more than $500 billion in 2010, according to...
A stroke, or "brain attack," occurs when blood vessels in the brain get clogged or burst. Strokes can happen to anyone, at any age. During a stroke, brain cells are damaged and may die, causing temporary or permanent disability. It is important to...
Heart disease and stroke are two of the top three leading causes of death in the United States, according to statistics published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. High cholesterol significantly increases your risk of...
A stroke is the result of a blood clot or hemorrhage blocking the arteries that lead to the brain. Because the supply of oxygen to the brain is blocked, brain cells start to die. A stroke can have very serious consequences, including paralysis,...
Plavix (Clopidogrel) is an anti-platelet agent that is prescribed to patients with a history of vascular disease. Plavix has been extensively studied in many large clinical trials of patients with heart attacks. Patients with a history of heart...
Ephedra, also known as ephedrine or ma huang, is a naturally occurring substance found in antihistamine medications and dietary supplements aimed toward weight loss and energy enhancement. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned...
According to the American Stroke Association, the third leading cause of death is stroke. Stroke is a disease that involves the brain and the blood vessels bringing it oxygen. When blood vessels become weak or unable to move a normal amount of...
Strokes are medical emergencies that result from impaired blood flow to the brain. This causes rapid brain damage that can be permanently debilitating or fatal, the Mayo Clinic explains. Immediate medical attention is required after a stroke to...
The heart lies at the center of the circulatory system, functionally speaking, and is responsible for circulating blood throughout the body. Since cells depend on blood supply to receive nutrients and oxygen, heart disease that affects the...
The American Heart Association reports that one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure, clinically known as hypertension. It is estimated that more than 56,000 people die from high blood pressure each year. Although the cause in the...
Carotid artery disease is a dangerous condition that can cause stroke and even death, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute or NHLBI. The two carotid arteries on each side of the neck are the main blood supply to the brain and...
Overexertion can damage your heart and raise your risk of stroke or sudden death if you already have heart trouble, according to the Heart Failure Society of America and Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Symptoms of heart strain may occur with...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the third leading cause of death is stroke. There are two causes of strokes. A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel bursts and an ischemic stroke happens when the blood supply...
With 32 million asthma cases diagnoses annually in the United States alone, many sufferers seek alternative treatments rather than conventional medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma contributes to 7,000...
Because advanced stages of dementia frequently include emotional outbursts and aggressive behavior, physicians may prescribe antipsychotic drugs to sedate the patient and relieve care partners and staff from never-ending demands on their time....
Fish oil contains vital heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which have been used to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. Fish oil also helps prevent cardiac death, strokes and abnormal heart rhythm. You can get these benefits from...
According to MedlinePlus, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is required for normal growth and development of your body. Because it is water-soluble, excess amounts of vitamin C leave your body through urination rather than being stored....
Fish oils found in supplements or in fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and tuna are sources of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid important in supporting a number of bodily functions. People consume fish oils like these as...
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is defined as an abnormally elevated pressure of the blood pumping through the arteries. Hypertension can result either when the blood itself is being pumped with excessive force or when the body's...
Because chocolate and coffee have long been maligned as junk foods that will give you acne, stunt your growth and make you jittery, it's hard to believe chocolate-covered espresso beans may offer health benefits. While scientists haven't looked...
The 2008 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that 20 million Americans, age 12 and older, use illegal drugs. This represents 8 percent of the population age 12 and older using drugs such as marijuana,...
Vitamin D can be obtained from food sources such as fish and vitamin D-fortified milk; it can also be processed in your body when you are exposed to moderate amounts of sunlight. Usually, preexisting medical disorders, such as lactose intolerance,...
Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that can be obtained through food sources such as fish and flax seed, and also in several supplemental forms. Omega-3 has a number of beneficial affects on the heart and the body in general. It does not have...
Get the facts about hypertension and tips for living with high blood pressure in this video.
Take control of cholesterol. Learn the facts about cholesterol and tips for lowering cholesterol count in this video.