Addiction
Don't Send Your Life Up in Smoke
Here's some sad news: cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of Lung Cancer, and Lung Cancer remains a leading killer of African-American men and women. Here's the good news: fewer young people are starting to smoke and social pressure in the form of smoking bans in public places and prohibitions against television advertising are helping people quit.

Addiction
Is Lighter Skin, Better Skin? 
Is lighter skin, better skin? Unfortunately many african americans still use skin lightners to boost their complexion to a lighter tone...

Addiction
Kidneys Are More Than Beans!
When you think about kidneys, think about more than beans! Your pair of kidneys is among your body’s most important organs. Their job is to purify your blood and flush away impurities. When one or both kidneys fail, the results can be devastating or even fatal.

Allergies
Allergy Control
Allergies and Asthma are on the rise in African-American communities, nationwide. Sniff. Cough. Sneeze. Wipe. And if you live in a city like I do where the average pollen count on a spring day is 1200 or above, I bet you’re doing all of the above…a lot!

Allergies
Asthma Sufferers Can Live Drug-Free
Asthma is an allergic inflammation of the lungs and it’s on the rise among Black Americans, particularly among African American children. It’s estimated that between 20 and 40 million people suffer from the disease and its attacks can be debilitating and frightening, especially if the medication used to treat it produces unwanted side effects like anxiety and chest pain.

Blood Diseases
Sickle Cell Anemia Can be Controlled!
Sickle Cell Anemia is one of the few diseases most African-Americans know affects them in higher numbers than other ethnic groups. Surprisingly however, other ethnic groups, particularly those of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent, are also at risk. There is much mythology about Sickle Cell, its causes and prevention that modern science has demystified in recent years.

Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Many of the estimated 37,000 Americans diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007 didn’t even know what the pancreas was or what function it played in their bodies. They soon learned that the pancreas is an important gland that is vital to proper digestion and maintenance of blood sugar levels.

Cardiovascular/Heart
African-American Heart-Attack Survivors Cite Experiences a "Wake-up Call" to Address Health and Life Issues
African Americans who have suffered a heart attack consider their experience a "wake-up call" that leads to re-evaluating priorities, growing closer to faith, and recognizing the importance of strong heart-health behaviors, according to new survey findings announced in January by the National Medical Association (NMA).

Cardiovascular/Heart
Have a ‘Heart-To-Heart’ With Your Physician
February is the month of hearts. It’s Valentine’s Day and Heart Health Awareness Month. Many organizations are making use of this opportunity to emphasize matters of the heart – both as they relate to romance and love –and to our precious health.

Cardiovascular/Heart
Understanding Cholesterol Is a Key to Good Health
We hear about cholesterol all the time, but how many African-Americans actually know what it is and how it affects our health? Like most things in nature, cholesterol has a good side and a bad side.

Childhood Health
A Clear Threat
I wish that I could reach out and make everyone who reads this feel, really feel the fear and absolute powerlessness that a child like me felt. That I still feel.

Childhood Health
Don't Play With Poison
When you hear the word “poison” you may think of a murky substance that kills instantly or produces a slow, agonizing death. If this is your only concept of poison, you could be dead wrong! The real definition is “any substance that can cause an unintended symptom,” so there’s a wide spectrum of rare and common every day household items that can turn poisonous through abuse and misuse.

Childhood Health
Give Babies a Healthy Head Start
There's an old African American expression that says, “how you start out determines the way you'll end up.” These wise words provide us with a lesson for life during all its stages, but especially in the months before we are born.

Childhood Health
Infant Mortality and African Americans
Researchers and health experts have sought unsuccessfully for years to determine why African American women suffer significantly higher infant mortality rates than their white counterparts. As this gap between black and white infant deaths continues to expand, it is time to adopt new approaches towards addressing this paradox.

Childhood Health
Obesity in Children 
In the old days a fat smiling baby was a sign of prosperity and good health, but today we know better. Because obesity in black children can last a lifetime and lead to .....

Childhood Health
Reducing the risk of SIDS: Overview of the updated AAP policy statement
The incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased dramatically since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its recommendation that infants be placed in a non-prone position to sleep. In 2001, the SIDS rate was 0.56 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 1.20 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1991. Despite this 53% decrease, SIDS remains the major cause of death for infants between one month and one year of age.

Cholesterol
Cholesterol and Genes 
Not everything we inherit from our families is good. Medical sciences have recently discovered that persistently high cholesterol levels can be passed down from one generation to the next...

Cholesterol
Cholesterol Drug Dangers 
Some of the newest and most effective drugs used to treat people with high cholesterol may have side effects you need to be aware of. The cholesterol drugs I am talking about are a category of drugs called : statins...

Cholesterol
Cholesterol Drugs & Diabetes 
Cholesterol drugs now have a new use, treating people with diabetes. Diabetics are in increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Two conditions that also plague people with high cholesterol levels...

Cholesterol
Cholesterol Level 
Do you know how your doctor read your cholesterol level? A blood test identifies two types of cholesterol LDL and HDL. The measurements indicate what cholesterol is doing in your body...

Cholesterol
Good Cholesterol, Bad Cholesterol 
Here is the flip sides of the same coin known as cholesterol. Cholesterol has good and bad sides...

Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials and African-Americans
If you’d rather have dental work performed without anesthesia than be part of a clinical trial, you are not alone. Many African-Americans shy away from the clinical trial process because of painful knowledge of the Tuskegee Institute studies from the 1930’s, when a group of Black men with syphilis were watched for four decades but not given treatment.

Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials: Treating Tomorrow Today
George Watters found out he suffered from an aggressive form of liver cancer when his doctors opened him up to perform a biopsy. Because his disease was so advanced, the 60-year-old San Francisco man opted to participate in a new drug trial, taking a treatment step many African-Americans skip.

Consumer Health
Look Before You Leap
The Power of The Word

Dental
Dental Hygiene: When it Comes to Your Mouth, Actions Speak Louder Than Words!
Did you ever consider that what you put in your mouth sometimes has a more impressive result than the words that come out of it? Good dental hygiene includes regular trips to the dentist and regular use of a host of products like a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash.

Dermatology
A New Look at Plastic Surgery for African Americans
Today, more and more people of color are showing interest in enhancing their appearance through surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.

Dermatology
Caring For The Skin You're In
What kind of skin are you in? If you're African-American, your ebony good looks may be marred by acne, moles, keloids and yes, melanoma, a lethal form of skin cancer. Although Black skin is loaded with large amounts of melanin – the pigment producing substance that gives us color and provided some protection from the sun’s damaging effects, melanin does not guarantee that we will not develop melanoma.

Dermatology
Razor Bumps, Ouch! 
Razor bumps, ouch! These unsightly painful bumps plague black men. They are...

Dermatology
Skin Cancer and African Americans 
African Americans can get skin cancer too. We experience different forms of skin cancer than whites, but once diagnosed our death rate from the disease is significantly higher...

Dermatology
Skin Moles 
As we age, many african american women develop skin moles. Moles appear as dark spots or...

Dermatology
Skin Tight
Pimples. Zits. Rashes. Bumps. These eruptions are a few of the many blemishes that can prevent African-Americans from putting our best face forward, especially in winter. All are conditions of the skin, the largest organ of our bodies that includes the epidermis as well as our scalp and fingernails.

Dermatology
Take Care of your Skin 
The largest organ of our body is our skin...

Diabetes
Chocolate Not Good for Valentine 
Do me a favor. Please don't give anyone you love a box of chocolates for Valentine's day...

Diabetes
Diabetes: A Touch of Sugar is Not a Sweet Thing
Did you ever hear the expression, "a little bit pregnant?" It's used to illustrate the point that when it comes to health, there's no sitting on the fence. Either a woman is pregnant or she's not. You may have also heard Black folks say, "I just have a little touch of sugar."

Diabetes
Diabetics and Foot Care 
Everyone admires good looking feet but, diabetics be cautious. If you are going to a salon make sure your operator is a licensed professional...

Diabetes
Embracing Change to Beat Diabetes
Change happens. It can be good or bad…it's how you handle it that matters. Fourteen years ago, my life changed radically, when I learned that I had type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects more than 18 million Americans. That diagnosis gave me a second chance at life.

Diabetes
Getting to The Heart of Diabetes
About 3.2 million African Americans have diabetes, but a third of them don’t know it. Many also don’t understand their risk for cardiovascular disease—the leading cause of diabetes-related death. At least 65 percent of people with diabetes will die of some form of heart or blood-vessel disease.

Diabetes
New Diabetics: Be Proactive and Know Thyself!
If you are among the many thousands of African Americans who are newly diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, you are part of growing population, dominated by black youth who now have the disease.

Diabetes
Study Reveals Help For Diabetics With Hypertension
Although the incidences of Hypertension and Diabetes persist in the African-American community in alarming numbers - almost one in three has Hypertension and one in six Diabetes – medical advances in treatment for patients who have both are offering much needed help.

Diabetes
Taking the Sweetness Out of Life
More than three million African-Americans have diabetes—and half of them don't even know it. Count Edward Lee, 62, among that number. When he began dropping pounds without trying a decade ago, his wife convinced him to go to the doctor. "She knew something was wrong," he says. "I didn't have any idea that was a symptom of diabetes."

Diabetes
Why Should I Care About Diabetes?
When it comes to diseases, diabetes is one of the nastiest. Poorly managed, diabetes has a host of scary and debilitating conditions that can profoundly affect a person's ability to live a normal life. On average, diabetes reduces life expectancy by 10 – 15 years and causes 215,000 deaths annually. Kidney disease, blindness, greater risk for heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer's disease and amputations are all complications of diabetes.

Elder Care
A Caregiver’s Dilemma
I don't know the origin of the phrase “sandwich generation,” but it certainly describes of the plight of many middle-aged African Americans who are acting as simultaneous caretakers of both children and aging parents.

Elder Care
Aging in Place: Aging with Grace
Can I age in place? As the baby boomer generation ages, many older Americans are asking themselves this very question. Unfortunately, many of our elderly population are finding they have to leave their homes to receive necessary care in their latter years, giving up their independence and self-empowerment along the way. This forced relocation can cause significant stress not only on the individual but also on friends and family members who love them.

Elder Care
Elders Can Live Long and Strong
In African cultures people look forward to growing old. Society places a high value on old age and the wisdom it brings. Black elders are seen as pivotal members of the community whose knowledge, experience and long years of life are eagerly sought to aid in the growth and development of younger generations. In these cultures, neglect, abuse or isolation of older persons is unknown. American culture is clearly different.

Elder Care
New Survey Reveals Widely-Held Misperceptions About Alzheimer's Disease Among African-American and Hispanic Caregivers
Caregivers Unprepared to Face the Disease Despite Knowing They Are at Higher Risk; Average Delay in Diagnosis of More Than 2.5 Years Reported

Elder Care
Nursing Home Care - The Steps to Elder Care
When her father, suffering the last stages of congestive heart failure, became too difficult to handle at home last year, Veronica Daniels did the unthinkable: She put him in a nursing home.

Elder Care
Responding to Caregiver Stress Syndrome
What some in the medical community and media are now calling "Caregiver Stress Syndrome" is the physical and psychological impact of chronic stress and the demands associated with caregiving.

Elder Care
The Long Goodbye: Alzheimer’s and African-Americans
“The long goodbye" is a phrase Nancy Reagan used some years ago to describe the process she and her family were experiencing as the late president Ronald Reagan battled Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a sad and highly appropriate term because Alzheimer’s is a progressive, degenerative disease that kills very slowly.

Elder Care
The NCBA is Looking Out for Big Mamma…and Papa in Old Age
The National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc., (NCBA) is the only national organization focused on improving the quality of life for African-American and low-income minority elderly. Throughout its 36-year history, the NCBA has worked to eliminate obstacles to fairness and equal access for one of the most underserved and vulnerable groups in our society: low-income black and minority senior citizens.

Eyesight/Vision
Are you at Risk for Glaucoma? Take a Family Glaucoma Snapshot
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among African-Americans. But, with early diagnosis and treatment, most people can retain their vision for life.

What is glaucoma?
In a healthy eye, fluid is made and drained through a small drainage canal. When something blocks this natural drainage, the pressure inside the eye goes up...

Eyesight/Vision
Does Glaucoma Run in Your Family? A Simple Eye Exam Could Save Your Sight!
Nearly 3 million people have glaucoma, but half do not realize it due to lack of warning symptoms and lack of medical care and insurance. The second leading cause of blindness in America, glaucoma slowly damages the optic nerve, usually from high pressure within the eye. Since many illnesses are hereditary, knowing your family’s background could prepare you to fight diseases such as glaucoma.

Eyesight/Vision
Eyesight Might
April is Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month so what better time to remove your rose-colored glasses and take a look at how your lifestyle might be affecting your precious sight? Most African Americans take our vision for granted unless accident, injury or disease reminds us how priceless a gift we’ve been given.

Eyesight/Vision
Looking Good in 2006
Any New Year’s resolution is better kept when the vision of what we’re trying to achieve is clear. In the interest of bringing our resolutions into focus and ensuring that we continue to see the beauty of life, let’s resolve to take better care of our eyes in 2006.

Eyesight/Vision
New Nationwide Survey Reveals African-Americans Not Prioritizing Their Eyes
Glaucoma, a condition where the fluid pressure inside the eye is too high, is one of the leading causes of blindness for Americans. However, glaucoma is five times more common in African-Americans than Caucasians and four times more likely to cause blindness.

Faith & Wellness
Be Healed by Sharing
"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,...and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up..."

Faith & Wellness
Be Thankful! By Rev. Mario Price
Guest Author Rev. Mario Price reminds us of what being "thankful" is really all about! Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday!

Faith & Wellness
Check Yourself
This scripture illustrates just how much God loves us. He even knows the amount of hairs we have on our head. For those who are "hair challenged" (i.e., going bald), God even knows how many hairs you used to have or how many hairs you would like to have.

Faith & Wellness
Convenience May Be Easy, But Is It Healthy?
Modern technology has made the lives of African-Americans easier on many levels. We don’t struggle the way our ancestors did to obtain food, water, shelter, warmth or knowledge. These advances benefit humankind in important ways, but there may be a fly in the ointment.

Faith & Wellness
Convinced But Not Converted
I believe without a doubt King Saul was convinced he had sinned, but was never converted by what he said he believed. His behavior became increasingly more wicked throughout his life.

Faith & Wellness
Culture Counts!!
Culture Counts! That's what the Surgeon General's report on mental health says and that's what Clinical Social Worker Hasan Johnson has come to know from his professional experiences as an African American mental health clinician in New Jersey.

Faith & Wellness
Expect God's Best!
Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? This verse of scripture is one of the most famous verses in the New Testament and has always been associated with Christmas.

Faith & Wellness
Heart Felt Matters
I was thinking one day about all of the great men and women who made such a great contribution to the world, our society and to our race. It was quite an overwhelming experience and made me proud to be an African American. These dynamic individuals accomplished things at a time they received little help or encouragement from the very society they were supposed to be a part of. These things were accomplished with limited resources. The author Ralph Ellison's observation of us as an invisible people was quite accurate. In spite of the numerous obstacles they faced, I can say without hesitation that our forefathers exemplified the scripture Ephesians 4:1. “I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”

Faith & Wellness
I Bind These Calories
I once attended a banquet for a political event and was seated at a table with two “very large” women, a mother and her daughter. They seemed intelligent and were good conversationalist. One of the women at my table was asked to bless the food for the banquet.

Faith & Wellness
In Shape by Reverend Tyles
How many books, TV shows, magazine articles, exercise equipment and “potions” have been dedicated to this topic? I turned on TV one Saturday morning and was overwhelmed by the number of products that were offered.

Faith & Wellness
Just Keep Trusting
You’ve just returned from your medical appointment and were encouraged by the comments from your doctor and your great test results. Your diabetes was under control, or your Blood pressure was normal.

Faith & Wellness
Make This a Great Day
Early this week I was going through one of my “nothing is good enough days,” i.e. the sun is too hot, I don’t feel as energetic as I used to, my medicine cost too much, people I don’t get enough attention from my doctor, my life is too complicated, I wish my health was better, etc. While these negative thoughts began to absorb me, I started realizing I had just entered the “why can’t I have a ‘great’ day” zone.

Faith & Wellness
Matters of the Heart
I thought because of Valentines Day’s close association with the “heart,” it would be a perfect time to discuss the subject, Matters of the Heart. In order to maintain a healthy heart you must consider your heart’s physical and spiritual well being.

Faith & Wellness
My Health?
While meditating on Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

Faith & Wellness
New Year Resolutions: JUST FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice...

Faith & Wellness
Running Toward the Goliath of Fear
Almost everyone is familiar with the story of how David defeated Goliath. It's been the topic of thousands of great sermons and inspires many to take on their own giants and confront their fears.

Faith & Wellness
Soulful Gifts That Keep On Giving
What’s more useful than socks and better for you than toys that make noise? How about the best gift of all, good health? For the holidays or any time of year, consider giving Good Health Gift Certificates to loved ones.

Faith & Wellness
Starting with Me in 2003
I always associate the holidays with food, sports, family, talking, laughing, seeing old friends, shopping and just having fun. After everything is said and done, many of us celebrate New Years Eve in church to insure we start the year off right.

Faith & Wellness
Stress... and your health
In America we work harder to consume more. Our jobs need us. Our children need us. Increasingly our aging parents need us. We are over-booked, over-worked, and over-whelmed. Our gas tanks are filled. Our bank accounts are filled. Our closets are filled. But we're running empty. We are stressed out.

Faith & Wellness
What's My Name?
While going through numerous physical exams and having my body poked, stuck and explored by a host of doctors and medical technicians, I begin noticing just how frequently the doctors and health care professionals referred to me by the illness I was facing as opposed to my name.

Faith & Wellness
Would You Like to Get Well?
This may seem like a strange question, but it's still one that we should consider. In the gospel of John 5:2 we read the story of the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda who was waiting to be healed of a sickness he had suffered for 38 years.

General Health
A Healthy Body Makes for a Healthy Sex Life
Great sex. It makes us feel good physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. It’s what every man and woman deserves. There are the obvious reasons to love intimate, satisfying sex: You feel better, relaxed, and more alive. It puts a smile on your face. And there is no better sleep medication on earth! But there is now evidence that sexual pleasure may even prolong our lives.

General Health
Can We Talk? A Conversation about Life…
With the black community facing an ever-worsening organ shortage, the findings of a national survey released last fall show that a family discussion about organ donation—one of the most important steps in the process of becoming an organ donor—is often overlooked, with more than 8 out of 10 African Americans unaware of the importance of speaking to their loved ones about their wish to become a donor.

General Health
Everyday is Thanksgiving—Live Life In the Moment. Be Thankful!
Thanksgiving is a day to consider all of the blessing in our lives. While being thankful for family, prosperity, and a roof over our heads tend to be at the top of the list for most people, there are a whole host of other things that we should not forget about.

General Health
Foundation for Health Coverage Education Seeks to Educate African Americans about Health Insurance Options
African Americans are the second largest uninsured group in the United States. The vast majority represent working Americans, families, single parents, the elderly - people who need and should have access to quality health insurance programs.

General Health
Getting to Know the National Medical Association
The National Medical Association is a physician organization that is keenly aware of the healthcare problems facing the African American community. Since 1895, the NMA has worked to advance the wellbeing of African Americans through education, advocacy, and health policy. Today, it represents the interests of more than 30,000 African American physicians as well as millions of healthcare consumers.

General Health
Health Tips for Weight Management
Obesity has become a huge problem in this country. Some of the health problems related to obesity include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, type-2 diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

General Health
Honor Your Health During Black History Month
Every February we tend to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and the other freedom fighters who paved the way for racial equality. Unfortunately, we often do not speak the names of the African-American sojourners who helped give us access to medical treatment and care.

General Health
How Toxic Are You?
You work out, eat right and get plenty of sleep. So why the fatigue, headaches and serious mood swings? Your environment may be making you toxic.

General Health
Making Kwanzaa Principles Healthy Principles
Forty years ago, Dr. Ron Karenga, a civil rights activist and college professor, created Kwanzaa to introduce seven values common among most African societies to African Americans and the world. When activated, these important values can strengthen family, community and culture among Black men, women, children and family / community groups of all kinds.

General Health
Making Peace with Pain
From the first slap on a baby's rear to the labored breaths of a terminal illness - at both ends of life and everywhere in between, pain is part of the human experience. But must we endure excruciating, ongoing pain when disease is present? Advocates of palliative care say a resounding "no!" Palliative care is a disease treatment approach that aims to reduce the severity of disease symptoms, relieve suffering and improve the quality of life in patients with serious illness.

General Health
Pain: What Is Your Body Trying To Tell You?
We have all experienced pain at one time or another. Pain can be defined as anything that makes you feel physically, mentally, or emotionally uncomfortable; a noticeable difference from the way you normally feel.

General Health
Questions Are the Answer: When It Comes To Your Health, Ask Questions!
Did you know that there are no wrong questions to ask when it comes to talking with your doctor about your health? You hold the key to the quality of health care you receive.

General Health
That Pain in Your Side Could Be Telling You Something
During their monthly menstrual period, many women experience various physical symptoms brought about by hormones and by cramping of the uterus. These symptoms seem to vary from woman to woman and from cycle to cycle, but often include abdominal cramping. Regardless of what you experience, pay attention to your monthly period because what you perceive as ordinary menstrual cramps may in fact be something else. That nagging pain in your side or those persistent cramps may be a warning sign of a developing problem.

General Health
The Black Women's Health Study
Black women in the United States have a greater burden of illness than white women. For example, black women are more likely to die of cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and they more often develop hypertension, diabetes, uterine fibroids, and lupus. To eliminate these differences, the causes must be understood. To that end, investigators at Boston University and Howard University Cancer Center have been conducting a study of the health of African American women from across the United States, the Black Women's Health Study.

General Health
The Third World Health Status of Black American Males
In 1990, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that "black men in Harlem were less likely to reach the age of 65 than men in Bangladesh." A recent comparison of current federal health data with the 2005 Human Development Index published by the United Nations shows that the poor international health status of black men in the United States persists in the new millennium.

General Health
Unfair Treatment: Racial Inequality Produces Health Disparities
Among the many wrongs afflicting the U.S. health care system is the seemingly intractable problem of racial inequality and unfairness. A half-century after schools were ordered desegregated and more than 40 years after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, racial disparities continue to pervade our system for treating the sick, injured and dying.

General Health
Why Wait—Create Your Own Legacy of Health and Wealth
March is Women's History Month—a time for us to celebrate "her story"— an opportunity to remember the accomplishments of women who have come before us, those who dared to be different, and those who said "no" while the vast majority conformed to male standards.

General Health
Why Women Matter to Men's Health
Women are the heart of the family, and are the primary decision-makers when it comes to health and health care for those they love. That's why health journalist, Andrea King Collier, co-author of The Black Woman's Guide to Black Men's Health says that black women are key to improving the health of the men in their lives.

Healthcare Costs
African-Americans and the Medicare Drug Plan: Too Many Choices Better Than No Choice At All?
If it’s true that it’s the American way to work hard for anything that’s worthwhile, older Black Americans should dust off their reading glasses and prepare to tackle the intricacies of the new Medicare Prescription Drug benefit.

Healthcare Costs
Caring for Our Veterans: A Hidden Benefit
A little known and under utilized VA benefit can represent up to $1801.00 a month for a veteran and spouse to help offset the cost of care and residence. These additional monies can make the defining difference in the choices available for proper care and assistance for those in need.

Healthcare Costs
Financing Health Care
Stephanie was born two months prematurely and spent the first two weeks of her life hooked up to a respirator, heart monitor, feeding tube and IV in a neonatal intensive care unit. Though her parents, Veronica and Daniel, both had health insurance through their companies, they were about $60,000 in debt by the time they brought their newborn home.

Healthcare Costs
Health Savings Account: Why Not Invest?
Just when you think you've got your budget in place for the next month or two, something happens: those good old unexpected medical costs. People often have routine office visits and suddenly learn their visit is not so routine after all.

Healthcare Costs
Helping the Uninsured Find Health Care Coverage
Nearly 30 percent of an estimated 45 million uninsured Americans are eligible for government-sponsored health coverage but are not aware of such programs or have difficulty reaching them.

Healthcare Costs
Learn About Changes to Avoid Medicare Confusion
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released detailed information on the Medicare Advantage health plans available to beneficiaries next year. In 2007, there will be nearly two times the number Medicare Advantage plans available to seniors than in 2006.

Healthcare Costs
NCBA, Medicare and YOU!
Starting November 15 through December 31, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc. (NCBA), will be available to help you learn about the new benefits offered by Medicare.

Healthcare Costs
Specialty Insurances: Achieving Peace of Mind
Anthony, age 49 was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Soon after his diagnosis he could no longer work and required home care. Due to his situation, his wife also had to stop working to care for him, thus creating a zero income household. 

Healthcare Costs
The Time to Enroll in Medicare is NOW: Top 10 Tips to Simplify the Process
With the 2007 Medicare enrollment period beginning in less than two weeks, seniors across America will be faced with a steep challenge and little time.

HIV/AIDS
AIDS Grows Up as Black Victims Increase
It seems we’re up in arms about everything these days – racism, poverty, abortion rights, health care, tax cuts, terrorism, affirmative action, child welfare. The list is nearly endless.

HIV/AIDS
AIDS Still Kills! Avoid Infection!
After years on the streets, using IV drugs and denying her HIV status, Earlene Hayden of Chicago checked herself into a hospital for three days. While in the hospital a 28-day bed opened up and she pleaded for the bed because she feared that if she went back on the streets she would die. The doctor gave her the bed telling her, “You better not let me down.” That was eight years ago. “I always wanted to be sober, but I was homeless and strung out for years,” she says now. It wasn’t until Hayden got sober that she was able to face the fact that she was HIV positive.

HIV/AIDS
AIDS: Crisis Not Over
You may think the AIDS crisis is over. After all, Magic Johnson still looks pretty healthy and everybody talks about living with the disease instead of dying from it. If this is what you think, you’re dead wrong.

HIV/AIDS
Fifty is Nifty—just be SAFE!
Fifty used to be considered old; now it is considered nifty. With the emergence of drugs like Viagra and not having to worry about unplanned, unwanted pregnancies anymore, both women and men are having frequent and often unprotected, risky sex. Consequently, the risk of exposure to HIV for older Americans is increasing at alarming rates.

HIV/AIDS
Love Protection More Than Your Partner!: sexually transmitted diseases and the african american community
Here are two questions I hate to ask: Why is the rate of new AIDS cases among black women 20 times that of white women and Why do African-American women account for 85% of all new AIDS infections in this country?

HIV/AIDS
Now Hear This: AIDS Still Kills.
December is AIDS Awareness month, yet many African-Americans continue to be dangerously unaware.

AIDS has been called the modern day plague, fiercer than smallpox and polio. The disease doesn't respect age, gender or race. Once thought to be a disease of gay men, AIDS now affects both sexes and has reached epidemic proportions in African-American women.

HIV/AIDS
Silence the Dialogue about HIV/AIDS
On December 1st, communities of all socioeconomic backgrounds will come together to commemorate yet another World AIDS Day. And, while there have been many advances in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic over the past two decades, the fight to rid the world of HIV/AIDS continues. HIV/AIDS is a constant dialogue that requires strong and committed leadership that must be demonstrated at every level to get ahead of the epidemic—in families, in communities, in countries, and internationally because people are still dying.

HIV/AIDS
Sisters Should Not Lay Down for the Down-Low
December 1st is World Aids Awareness Day and I have a few words to say to Black women about the phenomenon of Black men who live on the "Down-Low." I prefer to call this lifestyle choice "Living on the Low-Down," because low-down is certainly at the core of the behavior.

Hypertension
African-Americans Have Increased Risk of Stroke: Cortical Stimulation Giving Survivors Suffering from Hand and Arm Disabilities Hope
According to the National Stroke Association, African-Americans are almost twice as likely to suffer from a stroke than Caucasians. Every 45 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, with about 700,000 strokes occurring each year. For survivors suffering from hand and arm disabilities, a procedure called Cortical Stimulation offers positive results.

Hypertension
A Stroke Is No Joke 
A stroke is no joke. African Americans have more strokes than other population groups because of higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension...

Hypertension
Heart Disease Kills Women 
You may be surprised, but heart disease is the biggest killer of american women. In fact more women die from heart failure than all cancers combined...

Hypertension
Hypertension Overview
Nearly one in four Americans has hypertension. For African-Americans, the number is even higher. Hypertension is a dangerous condition that may lead to heart attack, stroke or kidney failure. To help you control blood pressure, it's important to understand what blood pressure is, what causes it to rise, what the risk factors are, and how you can prevent it.

Hypertension
Hypertension, the Silent Killer 
Hypertension isn't called the silent killer for nothing. For African Americans in particular it can lead to stroke or heart disease, and it also is a frequent companion to diabetes. However, there are good news...

Hypertension
Recognize Symptons of Stroke 
A stroke is a major life threatening incident. Millions of americans suffer strokes annually but the symptons can be hard to recognize or may be confused with other conditions...

Hypertension
Study Reveals Help For Diabetics With Hypertension
Although the incidences of Hypertension and Diabetes persist in the African-American community in alarming numbers - almost one in three has Hypertension and one in six Diabetes – medical advances in treatment for patients who have both are offering much needed help.

Hypertension
What You Need to Know about Stroke
Each year in the United States, there are more than 700,000 new strokes. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the country. And stroke causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over age 65, and the risk of having a stroke more than doubles each decade after age 55.

Kidneys
High Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease among African Americans Sparks Awareness and Screening Campaign
The National Medical Association (NMA) and Amgen are working together to address the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among African Americans. Amgen, a biotechnology company, has provided unrestricted grants to the NMA to educate and screen those at-risk for CKD. The NMA is a medical society representing the interests of more than 30,000 African-American and minority physicians.

Mental Health
Chilling Out: The Power of Rest & Relaxation
Have you ever needed to just chill out? With the hurried busyness of our often chaotic and hectic lifestyles, most of us underestimate the power of what it means to just chill out and relax. For varied reasons, we move at warp speed these days. Most of us literally move from place to place, rarely taking the time to slow down, relax and rejuvenate our bodies and minds.

Mental Health
Depression and African Americans
Depression is a highly common medical condition affecting nearly one out of 10 adults each year, and twice as many women as men. African Americans are no exception. Depression can cause long-standing changes in feelings, self-esteem, activity level and even sleep and appetite. Depression is treatable with medication, psychotherapy and other treatments, which result in 80-90% of people eventually responding well and almost all gaining some relief from their symptoms. However, African Americans carry a heavy burden when it comes to depression because they are less likely than Caucasians to seek mental health services or to receive proper diagnosis and treatment. They are also more likely to have depression for longer periods, resulting in greater disability.

Mental Health
Domestic Violence Is a Health Concern
What does an African-American woman who shows up in a local emergency room with a broken jaw have in common with a ten year old Black child who's never allowed outside to play? Both are victims of domestic violence. The woman manifests classic evidence of end-stage abuse.

Mental Health
For Better or for Worse; 'Till Death Do Us Part: The Fallacies About Abuse & Domestic Violence
Mary was captain of the high school cheerleading squad and John was the star running back of the football team. They seemed destined to be with each other. No one would believe her stories of abuse…

Mental Health
New Survey Shows African-Americans Are Concerned With Heart Health But Unaware Of Link To Brain Health
Alzheimer's Association and American Heart Association Join Forces to Educate

Mental Health
Understanding Substance Abuse
The reasons why far too many African-Americans become victims of substance abuse are as complex as the lives we lead. Poverty, opportunity, ignorance, experimentation, illness, cultural beliefs, thrill seeking and social pressure may all play a role. Whatever the reason, substance abuse – the misuse of legal and illegal drugs and alcohol – continues to undermine the stability of Black individuals, their families and our communities by promoting addiction and the breakdown of body, mind and spirit.

Mental Health
What about counseling? It makes a difference
Have you ever had a problem or a crisis in your life—one so burdensome that you needed to talk to someone? Seemingly, the longer you live, it seems inevitable that you will have a problem requiring a listening, compassionate, and understanding ear.

Nutrition
A Quick Fix is No Fix at All
How many times have you heard the saying, “We Are What We Eat?” Experts know it's true and so should we. Our bodies continue to regenerate themselves for as long as we live. Food does more than fill our stomachs. It gives us the fuel to perform simple and complex bodily functions. Food affects our moods as well as our overall fitness and health. Why then do so many Blacks pay more attention to the kind of fuel we use to run our cars than we do to the kind of food that fuels our bodies?

Nutrition
Breaking Some Family Traditions is a Very Good Thing
African-American families needn’t spiral down into a gooey quicksand of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese during every family gathering. It’s possible to maintain good nutrition and the family’s waistlines with a little preparation and modest self- control.

Nutrition
Diet Double In Fruits, Vegetables Does Not Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence, National Study Finds
An extremely low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber neither reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women, nor increases the chance for survival any more than the nationally recommended "5-a-day," according to a pivotal study published in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Nutrition
Food Choice and Obesity - What African Americans Need To Know
The facts are the facts. Just like a majority of Americans, African-Americans are becoming more and more overweight and obese than ever before. Like a majority of Americans, African-Americans are also suffering from the consequences of overweight and obesity such as heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes at an earlier age.

Nutrition
Food Label Smarts 
If you've decided to buy and eat healthier foods, becoming a label conscious consumer will make your test easier. Don't be fooled into believing that because a product is labeled light, low cal, or fat free...

Nutrition
Lactose Intolerance 
Human beings are the only mamals that continue to drink milk after childhood. However, many african americans have a condition...

Nutrition
Weight Loss Clubs
Losing weight and keeping it off is a lifetime challenge for most of us, and with obesity at epidemic levels among African-Americans, shedding unhealthy pounds should be a priority for every Back man, woman and child in our community. But how do we reach this goal?

Prescription Drugs
Landmark Ruling by the FDA Provides Hope for African-Americans Diagnosed with Heart Failure
BiDil is the first race-specific drug ever to be approved by the FDA.

Prescription Drugs
Medicare’s "Doughnut Hole" Drug Coverage Gap
A report released by Senate Democrats found that 88 percent of Medicare beneficiaries in standalone prescription drug plans are enrolled in plans that have gaps in drug coverage, commonly known as the “doughnut hole.”

Prescription Drugs
Medicines Expire 
Would you eat eggs that sat in your refrigerator for two years, hotdogs, or lettuce? Of course not. Well, medicine just like food has a shelf life...

Sleep Disorders
Sweet Dreams Can Be Yours!
Waking up to smell the roses is a wonderful way to greet the morning, but if you’ve been tossing, turning and gasping for air all night, you may feel more like crawling back under the covers to hide from the light of day. Does this exhausting scenario sound like you? You may have a sleep disorder, so stop yawning and perk up. Help is on the way.