Are you one stubborn son of a gun? Hold on a second, let me rephrase that: Would someone you know say that you are a stubborn son of a gun? Chances are, if you are stubborn, you'll be too stubborn to admit it; hence, the rephrasing of the question. Well, whatever it is that ultimately helps us arrive at the truth, you may be interested to know that being stubborn can actually have serious health repercussions.

According to Men's Health, Canadian researchers found that people who don't know when to quit have 50 percent higher levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein than people who know when to throw in the towel.

Considering that inflammation has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other diseases, you may want to give up on the battle today to live to fight another day.

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Head hurt? Is it a passing headache, or is it a migraine? And, if it's the latter, is it related to your heart? If you thought it wasn't, you may want to think again.

A Harvard research study revealed that migraines can signal an impending heart attack in men. Unlike some studies that are based on sample sizes as large as a baseball team roster and take place for about the length of two Led Zeppelin songs, this particular study followed 20,000 men over 15 years. The resulting information showed that migraines sufferers are 42 percent more prone to heart attack than those who do not experience headaches of this kind.

Migraines have also been linked to high cholesterol, hypertension, and inflammation. Add heart attack to that list, and just thinking about it can give you a headache. Doctors suggest that if you suffer from migraines, have your cholesterol, blood pressure and C-reactive protein tested.

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Attention women: Even if you are a non-smoker, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and live a relatively stress-free life, you may still be at somewhat of a risk of heart disease.

Two specific risks are what you should be particularly aware of. The first deals with C-reactive protein (which indicates if you have inflamed arteries) and the other is hereditary -- whether your parents had heart problems before they turned 60.

Obviously it's much easier to determine the second risk factor I listed. All it takes is looking at your parent's medical history. The first risk factor, however, does require you to take a high-sensitivity CRP test.

To determine your overall risk for heart disease, you can visit the website: www.reynoldsriskscore.org

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Though heart disease can be hereditary, many people can lower their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by making lifestyle changes. Want to know what kinds of lifestyle changes you need to make? Find out what your "heart numbers" are. Heart numbers are markers for heart disease risk, and a few simple tests will tell you yours. Ask your doctor to test your:

• C-reactive protein levels
• blood pressure
• cholestorel
• body mass index
• fasting blood sugar

Knowing where you stand can help you decide where you need to go with your health, and help you make decisions about exercise, diet, and medication, if necessary.

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