Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City

We can’t completely prevent cancer, but we do know enough about it to lower your risk, diagnose it early and treat it better. 10 million survivors in the United States are the testament to how effective these strategies are.

While some people wear stress like a badge of honor, the truth is numerous studies have shown that stress negatively impacts a person’s: health, relationships and productivity.

Blood pressure measures how hard your blood pushes against your arteries. Now when your hear relaxes, the blood pressure stops. This is called diastolic pressure. When your heart contracts and pumps blood your blood pressure is at its highest. This is systolic pressure.

You know you need to work out your muscles to get physically fit. To keep mentally fit, you need to exercise your brain as well. Many health experts say mental exercises help improve and maintain our various cognitive functions, including creativity and memory. Try some of these tips to maximize your mental muscle.

Squeezing more exercise into your day doesn't have to be a chore. Sometimes all it takes is a little modification to your regular routine.

HDL or good cholesterol is a major component of your total cholesterol. HDL helps protect against heart disease. It removes extra cholesterol from the arteries. HDL levels lower than 40 in men, and lower than 50 in women, are linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

From cough headaches to weekend headaches, there are more than a dozen different types. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare, but can be life-threatening. Get immediate attention if your headache is sudden or explosive, is associated with face or body symptoms like weakness or fever, or occurs after a head injury.

Regular joint pain isn't exactly a motivator for you to go out and exercise. But exercise done right increases your strength, energy, and flexibility. And healthcare experts say it can help you reduce joint pain.

Summer is a time for fun, but it should be safe fun. Children should wear sunscreen containing at least 15 SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and even on overcast days.

LDL is also known as the bad cholesterol. It can create plaques that line our arteries. Too much plaque can cause blockages which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

At birth, infants are checked for several diseases. The types and number vary by state, but usually include checks for enzyme and hormone deficiencies, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, underactive thyroid and hearing.

Basking in the sun's rays is an activity millions of us enjoy, but keep in mind skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and more than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.  (Source: National Cancer Institute).

You punch the clock day in and day out, and if you're like many Americans you know a cushy desk job can lead to a cushy midsection.  Well health experts say sitting for hours on end, not moving, increases a person's risk of obesity, as well as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  But these are avoidable risks.

Blood pressure measures how hard your blood pushes against your arteries. Now when your heart contracts and pumps blood, your blood pressure is at its highest, this is called systolic pressure.  When your heart rests, the pressure drops, that is called diastolic pressure.