Got high blood pressure? Hit the exercise! A wealth of studies have found that exercise can help lower your blood pressure, if you suffer from hypertension. “Blood pressure can drop in just a few weeks of regular exercise,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“It can also pop right back up if you stop exercising.” (The improvement may not be as great for those who have normal blood pressure.) Read more in the Los Angeles Times’ article “Blood Pressure: Exercise.”

by

About 57 million people, or nearly 1 in 5 Americans, likely had H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, between April 2009 and January 2010, the federal Centers for Disease Control said last week. Flu cases are in a bit of a lull right now, the CDC says on its website. But most cases seen continue to be the H1N1 variety.

About 11,700 deaths are suspected to be attributable to H1N1, the CDC. That’s fewer than than the 35,000 who die from flu in a typical year, the Los Angeles Times reported. But since swine flu tends to affect a younger population than a normal flu season, deaths among younger people have been higher than usual. Read the full story

by

Community Blood Center of the Carolinas plans the following public blood drives during February in the Lake Norman area,

Read the full story

by

There are two kinds of people in the United States: those with high blood pressure now and whose with a good chance of getting it someday, the The Los Angeles Times says in a series of stories today about the disease. High blood pressure is a problem because it can lead to stroke, heart disease, heart failure, kidney disease and even blindness. The L.A. Times report includes basics about high blood pressure, stress reduction tactics, the effects of alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine, and nutrition. Read the full story

by