GENERAL INTEREST

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics

According to the American Heart Association, about 1.2 million Americans were likely to experience a first or recurrent heart attack in 2007. About 452,000 of those were expected to die. The single leading cause of death in the United States is coronary heart disease. Sudden cardiac death claims an estimated 325,000 lives annually out-of-hospital or in hospital emergency rooms.

Stroke

The third leading cause of death in the United States is stroke, claiming about 150,000 lives annually. About 6 out of every 10 stroke deaths are women. Each year, about 700,000 people suffer from a stroke, leaving about 5.7 million stroke survivors in the U.S. today. Of the stroke survivors, many of them live with strokerelated disabilities.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can be controlled with proper treatment even though 95 percent of high blood pressure cases are from unknown causes. High blood pressure in adults older than 20 has risen to more than 72 million.

Cities say water from the tap is as good or better than bottled

In times past, many homes had a big bottle of water in the refrigerator. Glasses were filled with the cold water at dinner, and people would pour themselves a glass when they were thirsty. It was thought of as special water though it came from tap. Those days are gone.

Instead, you will find gallon bottles bought at the store or half a dozen smaller bottles made of plastic and held together with a heavy plastic strip. Oddly, though bottled water is expensive, most makers readily admit that their product is filtered tap water.

The phenomenal growth of water sales isn't just costing consumers a lot of money, it stresses the environment. It takes oil to make and transport those plastic bottles. And that means greenhouse gasses.

Fewer than a quarter of the plastic water bottles are recycled, leaving billions of pounds of them in landfills.

Water is one of the healthiest drinks, and in the U.S., tap water is generally very good. One advantage of tap water is that it usually contains fluoride, which protects against tooth decay.

If you prefer filtered water, inexpensive faucet attachments and pitchers can deliver an excellent product.

In spite of the environmental situation and local government problems caused by the bottles, if you still like the convenience of carrying water with you, at least recycle your bottles.

The birth of title insurance

It began in 1868. In Philadelphia, a land sale showed the necessity of having more protection than the examination of public records would provide.

Before the sale, a title search disclosed an old judgment against the land. The buyer consulted a prominent attorney who advised him that it was not a valid lien. On his authority, the sale was completed.

Shortly afterward, however, the lien was allowed by the court, and the property was sold at a sheriff's sale. As a result of the buyer's significant loss, real estate attorneys decided to do something to protect innocent investors.

They created title insurance, and before long, it was used all over the U.S.

Style authority tries out no-iron suits and shirts

Fortune's Senior Editor-at-Large Geoffrey Colvin is a leading thinker on business, leadership, and management. He's also one of New York's best-dressed men, which is why the magazine asked him to analyze no-iron shirts and suits. He washed the pants and shirts, stuffed no-iron suits into suitcases for hours, spilled salad dressing on clothes that were stain-resistant, and wore the clothes (around the house, of course). Some of his conclusions:

• Smartcare's khakis from Nordstrom: You wash them, hang them up, and they still have a decent crease. Wear them all day, and they still look that way. Put salad dressing on them, and it comes out in one washing.
  
  
  
• Eagle T shirts from Brooks Brothers came out of the dryer smooth, but solid colors could still use a touchup (he's picky). Patterns and stripes hid the imperfections. The shirts were 100 percent cotton, but didn't quite feel as good as traditional cotton.
  
  
  
• A suit from Brooks Brothers ($598) and one from Nautica ($349) hung out smooth after being stuffed into a suitcase, which Colvin says is impressive because they are light weight
  
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Waterless laundry

The makers of Tide, which already has half of the U.S. detergent market, have introduced Swash. Swash products, including a stain removing pen and a smoothing spray, are designed to get rid of odors, stains, and wrinkles without using water.

Right now, college students are big buyers.

P&G, the manufacturer, sells the items at Swashitout.com and at some Swash outlets such as the shop near Ohio State University in Columbus.

Their advertising says, "Keep clothes you love to rewear feeling clean," and reminds prospective buyers that the product saves water and helps clothes maintain their original shape.

© 2015 TLC Magazine Online, Inc.