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Popular Places in Polk to Pump-Up Your Pedometers

by MATT COBBLE Although it’s been more than 50 years since Dr. Yoshiro Hatano first proposed the idea of taking 10,000 steps in a day for health, the notion has truly caught on in the past half-decade thanks to wearable fitness devices, such as FitBits and Apple Watches. While some may see this gamifying of…
Kick off 2019 With These Healthy Physical and Nutritional Guidelines

The new year is a time for resolutions and renewal, and the leading resolutions that Americans make is, without question, to lose weight, get into shape, and to live a healthier lifestyle. However, many Americans might not know exactly what that looks like! How well do you think you know your stats and suggested amounts…
Healthy Foods for the Holiday Season

by TRENT ROWE, food editor Here’s to Uncle Harry. He’s your mom’s roly-poly brother who always plays Santa because he doesn’t need a pillow for padding. When it comes to dinner his favorite phrase isn’t, “ho ho ho”, but “Please pass the gravy.” It’s too bad too, because Uncle Harry is a really nice guy.…

Smoking Hurts More Than Your Lungs

I cannot really believe that the holidays are upon us already. This year has been like no other with its usual mix of pain and pleasure. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the role of lifestyle in the management of vascular disease that can lend a sense of control in its otherwise…
What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD?

by NADER MOINFAR, M.D., M.P.H. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In general, AMD is a disease that progresses in stages. Patients with advanced AMD experience vision loss from either excess ﬂuid and blood (wet AMD) or the death of cells (GA). It is estimated that 1.5 million…
Understanding Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a “weakening” or “dilatation” in a part of an artery. An estimated 15,000 people die of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) every year in the US. About 200,000 new cases of AAA are diagnosed every year. Most of these are diagnosed by tests that are done for unrelated reasons. The aorta is…