Did You Know...

• Within one year of quitting smoking, excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker (www.lungusa.org). Howard County's Health Department offers group classes and individual cessation counseling by appointment. For details, call 410-313-6265 or visit www.hchealth.org.
• About half of American adults have cholesterol levels that are too high (200 mg/dL or higher) and about 1 in 5 has a level in the high-risk zone (240 mg/dL or higher). The good news is that you can take steps to control your cholesterol. Visit www.americanheart.org.
• For most people, 10,000 steps per day is around five miles worth of walking during the day. Most people achieve it by one or more sustained walks or runs, equivalent to 30-60 minutes or more of walking per day. That equals the minimum daily exercise recommendation by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). www.about.com.