The Fidelis Care Blog

The Great American Smokeout is held each year on the third Thursday of November and encourages smokers across the nation to quit smoking. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, this year’s Great American Smokeout is on November 16. Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. About 1.7 million New Yorkers continue to smoke cigarettes. Every year in New York, smoking kills 21,000 adults. Another 1,400 New Yorkers die every year from exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the symptoms and treatment for stroke. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. It is also a leading cause of disability. What is a stroke? A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted, either by a blockage or a rupture of a blood vessel (artery) that goes to the brain. The blood going to the brain carries oxygen, which the brain needs to work. When the brain does not get oxygen for even a few minutes, part of the brain will die

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) can build up inside your arteries and clog them. At first, you may have no symptoms that you have high LDL levels. High-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) helps move LDL out of your blood.