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Making choices that lower your risk

How African-Americans Can Avoid High Blood Pressure Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a heavy weight that the African-American community has been destined to cope with. While no one is immune from high blood pressure, it is a proven fact that the African-American population has a 40 percent higher rate over any other ethnic group…
Talking to your teen can make a difference

New Data Reveals Teen Pregnancy Rates Have Fallen in Polk County For the past decade, the teen pregnancy rate in Polk County has been among the top in Florida, but the latest figures show the rate has dropped. “Community partnerships and civil dialogue has worked to lower teen pregnancy,” says Dr. Daniel Haight, director of…
Kicking the smoking habit for good

A resolution easier said than done, but not impossible With the holidays behind us, we stand at the threshold of another New Year. In an effort to improve our lives over the next 12 months, we’ll make resolutions that if achieved would make a difference for the better. If yours is to get healthy, fantastic!…

Pediatric Health: Why your child should follow the immunization schedule

ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANCE of vaccinating children is widely recognized, it is essential to understand the importance of adhering to an immunization schedule. These schedules are determined and evaluated by leading experts each year, taking the most recent scientific data into consideration. They are then approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of…
Editor’s Dose: An allergy alert and chemosis cautions

WELL, I THINK IT’S SAFE to say that spring has most definitely sprung. It’s that time of year when you walk outside your door and notice your car has a nice sheen of yellow from the layer of pollen that has adhered to the entire exterior. It’s also the time of year for sneezing, sniffling…
Stick to your ‘healthy lifestyle’ guns

THE CONNECTION between poor diet, obesity, and cardiovascular disease is not one that is hard to trace. What is difficult, however, is changing one’s lifestyle to combat the dangers of heart disease. Attempting to undo a lifetime of poor diet and exercise choices requires real determination and willpower, two characteristics that aren’t necessarily the strong…