Breaking Bad Habits

Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Alcohol
Excessive drinking can cause potentially fatal conditions, not only high blood pressure, but also damage to the brain, heart or liver; diabetes and stroke.

Alcohol and Your Heart
Alcohol may have some health benefits, including lowering the risk for heart disease, but it may also lead to abusive drinking and other diseases.

How to Cut Down on Drinking
It helps to understand why and when you drink if you are going to successfully reduce the amount of alcohol you consume.

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease
Smokers not only have increased risk of lung disease, including lung cancer and emphysema, but also have increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and oral cancer.

Smoking: Truth and Consequences
When you smoke, toxins are carried by your blood to every organ in your body. At the same time, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke keeps red blood cells from carrying as much oxygen as normal.

Maintaining Weight Once You've Quit Smoking
Although people generally gain weight when they stop smoking, you can reduce your chances of adding extra pounds by taking steps to prevent it.

Anger Can Raise Cholesterol Levels
There's evidence that people who respond rigidly to anger-provoking events are likely to wind up with significantly elevated levels of heart-damaging cholesterol.

Stress Can Increase Your Risk for Heart Disease
Mental stress does more than diminish your sense of well-being. It also can increase your risk for heart disease.

How to Fight Stress-Related Diseases
No one can avoid all stress -- and a certain amount actually is good for you. But it's always best to keep unhealthy levels in check when possible.