Disease Prevention & Health and Wellness

General health and wellness information & insights on disease prevention from Harvard Medical School

Good health means more that treating illnesses when they occur. It also means achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, getting optimal nutrition, exercising and staying fit, and taking steps to prevent disease. Taking control of your health and well being gives you the best chance for living a full and rewarding life.

Harvard Health Publications and the faculty of Harvard Medical School have developed in-depth special health reports to help you do just that. Learn how to prevent heart disease with detailed guides on controlling cholesterol and blood pressure. Find out what constitutes healthy eating, and how you can start, and stick with, an exercise program. We all want to age well and avoid some of the diseases common in older age such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer. These reports will provide you with the authoritative information you need to do just that.

They also offer guidance on living well with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, lung disease, and headaches. What to expect from your doctor, the latest treatments and medications, and lifestyle changes that can make a real difference.

Special health reports also cover topics important to your quality of life: how to deal with depression, grief, or stress; maintaining a satisfying sexual relationship as we get older; how to get enough good sleep; what you can do to maintain robust energy and keep your immune system in shape, and how women can negotiate the menopausal transition in the ways that are best for them.

You'll also find guides to managing your health care, including the pluses and minuses of alternative and complementary medicine and understanding screening and diagnostic medical tests.