Health News

Features

Meet the father of Family Fun and Fitness at the Fountain

Nat West: A man with plans for a better tomorrow A statue of a little boy reading sits in Winter Haven’s Central Park, a testimony to a man dedicated to improving the city’s quality of life: Nat West. At 69, the former vice president of Winter Haven Hospital (WHH) is retired, but still active in…
Q&A: Facts vs. fiction of male ‘menopause’

Dr. Allan Alberton provides medical insight for men and what to expect during their change of life Menopause can be a traumatic transition for women. But what about men? What can they expect during their change of life? We talked to Dr. Allan Alberton, a board certified family medicine practitioner at Winter Haven’s Bond Clinic,…
Pop Quiz: Knowing your heart disease and stroke risk

Are you controlling those health factors within reach? For men, heart disease and stroke together are responsible for nearly 30 percent of all deaths in the U.S., and many of those are preventable. Every man out there should be aware of the health dangers that can lead to heart disease or stroke. While some contributing…

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy

With the increase in longevity and improvement in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a sizable proportion of Americans are on either an antiplatelet agent or full anticoagulation. These are commonly known as blood thinners. In the next two columns, I’ll talk about the most commonly used blood thinners. Common indications for requiring antiplatelet agents are…
Celebrating Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease where the optic nerve in the eye becomes damaged over time. Each eye has an optic nerve. This nerve acts like a cable sending information about what you see to the brain. This is just like a cable to your television. Without treatment,…
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…