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Did you ever wonder if you could die of a broken heart?  Strong emotions such as grief, anger, fear, or excitement can affect your well-being.

Heartbreak is expressed through fine art on screen, stage, and literature, as well as through music, painting, and sculptures. The fine arts often explore the highs and lows of relationships, hardships, illness, loss, and grief and the devastating impact it has on the human spirit. Many movies, paintings, and literature come to mind, reminding us that heartbreak’s timeless rendezvous with humanity is epic and spans centuries. Heartbreak is a very real and profound part of the human experience. But did you ever think there was an actual physiologic response? Art tells us so and scientists are studying the effects of a broken heart on the b

Public health advocates believe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is as severe a public health hazard as smoking. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research estimated that sleep apnea is responsible for 38,000 cardiovascular deaths yearly, with an associated 42 million dollars spent on related hospitalizations.

Additionally, according to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be more prevalent than asthma and adult diabetes, affecting more than 18 million Americans. Although this is an older study, it gives clinicians valuable information to treat their patients effectively, thus increasing their quality of life.

How sleep apnea affects the heart:

Obstructive sleep apn

According to the American Heart Association, cardiac death is 5% higher during the holidays compared to the rest of the year. Don’t be a statistic!

The holiday season is a significant nutrition setback as we indulge in delectable holiday gastronomy. Mindful planning and pro-activity put the brakes on holiday weight gain, elevated cholesterol, poorly managed diabetes, and high blood pressure, all leading to self-hate and negative self-talk.

It’s more than just the holiday fare that will get you. It could also be stress. Preparing for the holidays is a major stressor for many who feel compelled to keep the magic alive. From meal planning, decorating, baking, shopping, and visiting with family, the expense takes a toll on your health. Especially while c

Chicken Soup: Not Just For the Soul

Welcoming autumn with fresh bone broth is mandatory in my home. The kids start craving chicken soup as soon as August, and sometimes, it’s tough to hold them off till October.

Bone broth is one of the most beneficial foods you can give your body. You can make it part of your routine by simmering the ingredients and breaking it down into smaller, concentrated, frozen portions kept on hand to make soups, rice, or as a base for gravies and sauces.

I like to make my broth with beef and chicken bones. You can buy beef bones for broth in most supermarkets or butcher shops. Organic beef bones are preferred; however, they are not always easily accessible.

Whenever we have a rotisserie chicken, I throw the carcass i

 Did You Know?

It takes only 3-5 minutes to bleed to death after sustaining severe physical trauma.

As a cardiac nurse, I fervently advocate for everyone learning CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and how to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). CPR and AEDs have been shown to increase survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for over two decades. Public access defibrillators (PAD) and CPR training save countless lives.

As a military nurse, I’ll explore how and why another critical initiative is gaining momentum to save the lives of trauma victims.

During the latter part of the last century, the US military’s Joint Trauma System developed and implemented battlefield trauma training for its special forces and sele

According to a 2019 study led by Dr. Ashkan Afshin, an assistant professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle:

               One of every five deaths globally is attributable to suboptimal diet, more   than any other risk factor, including tobacco.

In 2017, poor diets were responsible for 11 million deaths.

That number breaks down to 22% of all adult deaths, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause, followed by cancers and diabetes.

Additionally, a suboptimal diet resulted in 255 million

Health Misinformation is Raging

Health misinformation spreads its tentacles in good times and bad. We have certainly seen the lion’s share of misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic. 

For clarity, let’s define misinformation versus disinformation:

• Misinformation is false or unintentionally inaccurate information.
• Disinformation is deliberately false, misleading information.

Health Misinformation on Social Media and the Internet

While there were no social media during the 1980s, I am old enough to recall the belief that you could contract HIV from casual contact like a hug, kiss, or handshake. Crazy right? K