prevention Archives - Be Well Solutions

Get Pumped about Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common health concern that affects nearly half of adults nationwide. It's often referred to as the "silent killer" because it can go unnoticed for years while quietly damaging your arteries and increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health conditions. Fortunately, there are effective lifestyle strategies you can implement to help control your blood pressure and promote overall health. These measures include exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco and nicotine and using healthy eating strategies. What do the Numbers Mean? Blood pressure is a measure of the amount of force (pressure) generated by the heart when it contracts and during rest. Blood pressure measurements are recorded as two numbers, known as systolic and diastolic values respectively. Systolic pressure represents the pressure when the heart contracts, diastolic pressure represents the amount of force [...]

E-cigs fire up controversy

Timothy Magaw for Crain's Cleveland Charlie Lardomita has been an off-and-on smoker since he was about 16 years old. And while it's only been two months since he lit up, the 38-year-old IT executive thinks this time he's kicked the habit for good. Forget the patch or nicotine gum. Mr. Lardomita swears by his electronic cigarette, a device that could be described as the lovechild of RoboCop and Joe Camel. He has made believers — or “vapors” — out of a handful of his friends who've since dropped traditional smokes. He even has dreamt of opening a vapor lounge — a one-stop shop and haven for e-cig connoisseurs — near his home in Kirtland. “I'm so into them it's ridiculous,” said Mr. Lardomita, chief technology officer for International Excess Alliance in Richmond Heights, a wholesaler of property, casualty and other [...]