American Heart Association cites stress-busting, dog-walking benefits of companion animals.

That four-legged friend of yours may be more than a companion -- he also may be boosting your heart health, experts say.

An official statement released by the American Heart Association says there is evidence that having a pet, particularly a dog, may lower your risk of heart disease.

Smart ways to reduce cholesterol

Limit Saturated and Trans Fats

• Foods high in saturated fats include fatty meats, poultry skin, bacon, sausage, whole milk, cream and butter.
• Trans fats are found in stick margarine, shortening, some fried foods and packaged foods made with hydrogenated oils.
• Instead of butter or stick margarine, try reduced fat, whipped or liquid spreads.

Whether you’re traveling north, south, east or west this summer we’ve got you covered. If your food choice is Q – that’s bar-be-cue - we’re here with the some of the best from coast to coast compliments of website Travel + Leisure.

To the East ~

Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, NYC

From, Your Life Your Money a PBS production.

The good news for young people is that it isn't all that complicated to get your finances in order. Paying off high-rate debt is a great investment. Put money into safe places, like bank savings accounts and money market funds, particularly those that invest in Treasury bills. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan and matches your contribution, make sure to put in as much money as your company will match. These are all solid, smart ways to get your finances in order.

Who's going to be more successful at selling health insurance to young men this fall: NBA MVP LeBron James, NFL rookie of the year Robert Griffin III, or Mom? If officials at the Department of Health and Human Services get their way, all may be drafted.

"We're having discussions, active discussions, with a variety of sports affiliates," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirmed at a meeting with reporters this morning to relaunch the department's website for consumers, HealthCare.gov.

More and more U.S. physicians are using the radial artery in the wrist for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) instead of the traditional femoral artery, researchers reported.

In 2012, transradial PCI accounted for one in six such procedures in the U.S., up from less than one in 50 in 2007, according to Dmitriy Feldman, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and colleagues.

In a retrospective analysis of nearly 3 million procedures, transradial PCI had better success rates and fewer complications than the transfemoral procedures, Feldman and colleagues reported in the June 11 issue of Circulation.