Category Archives: Heart Health

When cholesterol is discussed, we often think about the heart, heart disease, and stroke, but memory and cognitive function don’t generally cross our minds even though they should. New research from Heidelberg University in Germany found that having high cholesterol can negatively affect memory and cognitive decline in aging. Cholesterol is naturally produced by the ...click here to read more

Medicine does not taste good… that’s the conclusion we inevitably make as we go through rounds and rounds of common cold and respiratory infections during childhood. After all, even that raspberry-flavored cough syrup isn’t as pleasant to take as the advertisers claim, so it’s not surprising that when it comes to eating things that supposedly ...click here to read more

High blood pressure—hypertension—plays a role in more than 15 percent of deaths in the United States, and people are increasingly seeking methods to lower their blood pressure naturally and quickly. Having this chronic disease increases the risk of developing heart attacks and even strokes: some of the most common reasons for sudden death today. Poorly ...click here to read more

The heart is one of our most important organs, so it makes sense that diseases affecting it are the leading cause of death in America. Normally, the heart contracts in a rhythmic fashion to propel oxygenated blood through the atrial system, but in some individuals, the heart beats irregularly, leading to an insufficient amount of ...click here to read more

Occasionally, rational people display symptoms of paranoia, delusional thoughts, and believe they hear voices, but these instances are generally one-offs and can be explained sensibly after the episode has passed. This isn’t the case for those who suffer from severe mental illness (SMI), as it encompasses a wide range of chronic mental health conditions that ...click here to read more

Sadness is something we all experience from time to time. It could be due to more acute circumstances, like a recent breakup, or even have a slow burn effect, slowly chipping away at your well-being. If left to propagate, this sadness may turn into its more clinical form called depression, leading to symptoms that may ...click here to read more

Stress is an invisible enemy. It’s not palpable, really, but it’s oh-so-harmful. It can wreck your day, it can rob you of your sleep and appetite, and it can take the joy out of living. When we encounter some sort of danger, be it real or imagined, our body gets ready to protect our very ...click here to read more

Having type 2 diabetes for many years can predispose you to an increased risk of heart disease. This is especially true in those with the metabolic disease who manage the condition poorly. Unfortunately, this is an all too common scenario, as those with type 2 diabetes are often unaware of their deteriorating heart condition because ...click here to read more

Heart disease caused nearly 25 percent of all deaths in 2008—that’s one in every four deaths. It’s the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States and costs the country over 100 billion dollars in health care services, medications, and lost productivity every year. Heart disease is a broad term ...click here to read more

We usually don’t see our blood, with the exception of occasional blood work or cuts, so we often take for granted the many important functions it performs. Of course, the most crucial function is the delivery of oxygen from the lungs to the farthest corners of our body and, in turn, the removal of carbon ...click here to read more

Chances are that you’ve taken medication to treat a headache or muscle pain at one point or another, which can be purchased at your local pharmacy. They may take the form of Aleve or Motrin, but they all advertise as doing the same thing: relieving pain. However, you may be exposing yourself to an increased ...click here to read more

Cholesterol is an essential substance needed by the body to help build healthy cells, but too much of it can cause fatty deposits to appear in your blood vessels, leading to an increase in your risk of heart disease. Having cholesterol-laden vessels reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to vital organs such as your brain ...click here to read more

If you’ve ever watched a pizza maker toss a pizza high in the air or a seasoned noodle maker stretching a single ball of dough into thousands of strands, you might have marveled at their dexterity. While there is definitely some skill involved, the real hero is a protein component in the mix that lends ...click here to read more

May is American stroke month, and we at Bel Marra recognize the impact a stroke may have on a person’s life and the lives of their loved ones. The results of a recent survey concluded that most Americans do not know the common signs of a stroke, which is something we take great issue with. ...click here to read more