Seventy five percent of residents of Tompkins County say they are bothered by second-hand tobacco smoke. Nine out of ten in the same category feel that it is harmful to their health.

The result is a new Tompkins County Health Department program designed to eliminate exposure unwanted tobacco smoke affecting residents as well as visitors to the country

Abbott Laboratories (a United States [U.S.] pharmaceutical company) and AstraZeneca (a British drug giant competitor) announced Wednesday their collaboration plans to create and market an all-in-one pill that will have a combined positive effect on all three blood lipids (i.e., LDLs, HDLs and triglycerides). The new pill will not only lower the LDLs (or "bad" cholesterol), but it will raise the HDLs (or "good" cholesterol), while also reducing triglycerides (fats that form in the bloodstream).

Abbott currently sells the cholesterol treatment, Tricor, and AstraZeneca currently sells the cholesterol-lowering drug, Crestor. The joint venture to develop the combination drug treatment will aid in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is known as the number one killer of both men and women

Weight loss surgery can do more for people than make them look and feel better. Research found that those considered morbidly obese who underwent weight loss surgery had less than half the risk of heart disease afterward.

They were also less likely to need surgery to unclog blocked arteries than those who did not have the surgery

Scientists at HS Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, Germany, reviewed various studies relating excess weight with physical disability in osteoarthritis patients. They found that overweight adults with osteoarthritis who lose just five percent of their body weight can reduce the amount of physical disability associated with the most common form of inflammatory joint disease.

"It is more or less proven now that the most effective thing, if you have osteoarthritis of the knee, is weight loss," study co-author Henning Bliddal told Reuters Health

Including a Potassium-enriched salt in the daily diet could help in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults, reported the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Potassium is an essential electrolyte just like sodium, necessary to maintain the body's fluid balance. Studies have also proved that Potassium is important in proper nerve and blood pressure regulation. The mineral also helps lower the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, possibly by protecting blood vessel function