Oral hygiene does more than give you a pretty smile and fresh breath. Healthy teeth and gums can help prevent many serious health issues like diabetes and heart conditions.

Many doctors are referring patients to gum specialists these days because your mouth reveals a lot about your body. For example, more than 90% of people with heart conditions also have gum infections and inflammation called periodontitis.

See why it’s so important to keep your mouth in top shape.

You've probably heard the buzz about good and bad cholesterol, and the negative effect that bad cholesterol can have on heart health. With some high cholesterol foods now being considered good while others are bad, trying to determine which high cholesterol foods are actually beneficial for your heart's health can be confusing!

The connection between a nutritious diet and a healthy heart just became even clearer. A recent study by the University of Washington found that almost half of deaths from cardiovascular disease can be prevented by changing what you put on your plate.

To make those choices easier, researchers also identified several of the leading risk factors and measured how much they contribute to the likelihood of heart conditions and stroke.

It’s a big deal when you consider that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US and worldwide. Find out which dietary changes will have the biggest impact on helping you to lead a longer and more active life.

Diet and exercise may be the first things that come to mind when you think about taking care of your heart. However, what you do overnight counts too. Sleep deficiencies can contribute to many heart conditions, and heart troubles can make it difficult to sleep.

Experts have been aware of a link between sleep apnea and high blood pressure for many years. Now, ongoing research is discovering similar interactions related to insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Learn more about how you can use sleep to keep your heart healthy.

Your heart works pretty hard for you. It beats roughly once a second for your entire life. That’s about 2.5 billion beats over the average lifespan. The blood that is circulated by the beating heart carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Your heart is important to say the least!

Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States for many years. Fortunately, it is largely preventable with simple lifestyle changes.

Are you guilty of not paying enough attention to your heart health? Many people tend to ignore that one little organ that keeps everything working in the body. It's easy to take the heart for granted because it holds up well to all sorts of negative, outside elements.

However, regardless of your age or current health status, it’s important to ensure you're doing what your heart needs in order to continue functioning well for many years to come.

Lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of developing serious heart conditions by more than 90%. That’s true even if you already have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

If you want to protect your health but you’re still struggling to make major adjustments, you’re not alone. Many studies show that most adults have trouble making that kind of commitment. For example, less than 2% of Americans meet the 7 targets recommended by the American Heart Association.