I'm always skeptical of government standards when it comes to how much exposure to something is supposedly safe. Some drinks are allowed to have certain amounts of chemicals in them -- chemicals that have been linked to cancer, mind you -- just as long as they do not exceed the limits of what has been deemed "safe." The same goes for meat packaging plants; where there are designated levels of "safe" rat excrement that are allowed. This time around, and with respect to the health of our hearts, it seems that the government's "safe" levels in lead exposure may not be all that (guess what?) safe after all.

Based on a report in the journal Circulation, researchers found that people who had levels of this metal from 3.6 to 10 micrograms per deciliter increased their risk of death from heart attack or stroke by 89 percent. Bear in mind, this 3.6 - 10 mcg/dL falls far below the 40mcg/dL threshold that the government has listed as being safe.

Lead is known to damage the kidneys, which, in turn, causes an increase in blood pressure and damage to the blood vessels. To find out if you may be at risk for lead, first find out if your house was built before 1978, as this was the year that lead paint was banned. Also, it might be a wise idea to see if your house has lead pipes (something that is likely to be found in much older homes). And, to be extra safe, you can always have your doctor test you.

Comedian Red Buttons dies at the age of 87 after struggling with a vascular disease. The comedian known for his carrot top burlesque comedy that won him an Oscar in 1957 died Thursday in his Los Angeles home. A performer since his teens, Buttons was the youngest comic on the circuit in burlesque theaters. He then graduated to small roles on Broadway before being drafted into the army in 1943.

The largest jump to fame was his television show "The Red Buttons Show" which was first broadcast on CBS Oct. 14, 1952. The show became a solid hit. Buttons drew on all his experience for monologues, songs, dances and sketches featuring such characters as a punch-drunk fighter, a scrappy street kid, a Sad Sack GI and a blundering German. The hit of the show was a silly song in which he pranced about the stage singing, "Ho! Ho!... He! He!... Ha! Ha!... Strange things are happening!" It became a national craze.

Vascular disease includes any condition that affects your circulatory system. A blockage in the coronary arteries can cause symptoms of chest pain known as angina or a heart attack. It also affects the legs and the renal arteries which are the arteries supplying the kidneys.