
High Blood Pressure: “The Silent Killer”
By Mindi Matthews, director of Health and Wellness at Riverview Health High blood pressure is a very common and dangerous condition. About one out of three adults in the US—or 67 million people—have high blood pressure. However, only about 47 percent of these people have their blood pressure controlled. High blood pressure is called the […]

Heart Health Facts and Tips
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths in men in 2009 were due to heart disease. Every year 720,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 515,000 are a first heart attack and 205,000 happen in people who’ve already had a heart attack. […]

Early Action is Key to Heart Health
Knowing the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack is key to preventing death, but many people don’t know the signs or are in denial that they’re having a heart attack when it happens. About 47 percent of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside the hospital, which suggests that many people with heart disease don’t […]

Sodium: Shake it Off!
By Katie Boscia, MS, RD, IBCLC February is National Heart Health month, which is a reminder to pay closer attention to the amount of sodium you consume. Many people think that by reducing their sodium intake from the saltshaker, they’ll be fine. In reality, most of the sodium we eat—approximately 75 percent or more—is consumed […]
Heart Health: Know Your Numbers
Making sure you’re on the right track to maintaining a healthy heart is as simple as knowing five little numbers: blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index, cholesterol and waist size. By regularly monitoring these five things, you can quickly see when something is abnormal so you can follow up with your doctor. Blood Pressure […]