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Risk Prediction

American Heart Association’s Updated Tool Is a Game-Changer by REBEKAH PIERCE What if you had a crystal ball — something that could predict future health problems and tell you what exactly to expect as you get older? With the updated Risk Prevention Tool from the American Heart Association, you may be able to do just…
From Broken Heart to Helping Heart

Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation Making Defibrillators More Accessible in Winter Haven by K. MICHELE TRICE In the summer of 2020, Melanie Brown Culpepper found herself in a nightmare situation. She is now on a mission to help as many people as possible avoid a similar experience. Florida had just allowed businesses to reopen following the Covid-19…
Balancing Fitness & Fun

Cypress Gardens Ski Team Keeps Winter Haven Family Active story and photos by PAUL CATALA Daily activities for the Palomaki family started with baseball games and fishing, but it wasn’t long before the family was hooked on skiing. Now, the whole Palomaki family, along with the rest of the Cypress Gardens Ski Team, use ropes…

“There’s a fly in my soup!”

“There’s a fly in my soup!” No… wait, that’s not a fly. It’s a floater. What are floaters? And why do we get them? Floaters are a symptom of the natural aging of the vitreous gel in the eye. Our eyeballs are filled with gel, and as we grow older, the gel becomes more liquid.…
The Connection Between Lifestyle, Vascular Disease

I cannot really believe that the holidays are upon us already. This year has been a unique one with another surge of Covid, and 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, which can lend a sense…
Diabetes — the Leading Cause of Blindness

October may be National Diabetes Month, but for me as an eye doctor, every month is diabetes month. Complications from diabetes are the leading cause of blindness in adults in the United States. For my patients who are diabetic, I am always on the lookout for bleeding inside the eye as well as internal swelling,…