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Painting the town red with heart disease prevention

How Polk is taking steps to increase awareness and lower your risk Bill Mutz thought he was just going to help with a demonstration when he volunteered for an ultrasound at a Lakeland Leadership Cardiology group. But what he learned actually helped him: The ultrasound showed blood was not flowing properly through his heart’s mitral…
New year, New you!

How Polk County is Tackling Obesity and Residents are Making Healthier Lifestyle Choices Fifty-one year-old Ann Good topped 200 pounds last May. She lacked energy and was short of breath. Concerned about a family history of heart disease and diabetes, she decided to act. Today Good is 50 pounds lighter and breathing easier, in more…
Pop Quiz: Could it be premature menopause?

Is it just the after-effects of the holiday rush getting to you, or are you encountering possible symptoms of premature menopause? It’s definitely not easy to be a woman, especially as you age. Yet, could the unusual hot flashes, mood swings and feminine “discomfort” you are feeling be the precursor for premature menopause? Find out…

Health Facts: Getting to the heat of the matter

AS TEMPERATURES RISE in sunny Florida, so does your risk of developing heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Approximately 20 cases of heat stroke per 100,000 people occur annually, with at least 240 deaths.
Word of Mouth: Facts and myths about wisdom teeth — what you need to know

WHEN IT COMES to wisdom teeth and myths, the tall tales rank right up there with toads causing warts! You’ll hear a lot of information about wisdom teeth, but not all of it is true.
Surgery Facts: Chronic acid reflux? You may have a hernia

MOST FOLKS associate a hernia with a swelling in the groin or belly, but the term can be broadly applied to any unnatural defect that exists in the body. Hiatal hernias are a type of internal hernia that occurs in the diaphragm, specifically right where the esophagus crosses to the stomach. These hernias don’t present…