{
    "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1",
    "title": "Harvard Health Posts by Stephanie Watson Feed",
    "home_page_url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/authors/stephanie-watson",
    "feed_url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/authors/stephanie-watson/feed/json",
    "language": "en-US",
    "icon": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/img/logos/hhp-logo-mark-lg.jpg",
    "items": [{
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/caffeine-healthy-diet-may-boost-memory-thinking-skills-alcohols-effect-uncertain-201406187219",
            "title": "Caffeine and a healthy diet may boost memory, thinking skills; alcohol’s effect uncertain",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/caffeine-healthy-diet-may-boost-memory-thinking-skills-alcohols-effect-uncertain-201406187219",
            "content_html": "A study published in this month’s Journal of Nutrition suggests that drinking caffeinated beverages, having the occasional alcoholic drink, and eating a healthy diet may help preserve memory and thinking skills long into old age. In particular, foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet—fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, and whole grains—show promise for preserving memory and preventing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.",
            "summary": "A study published in this month’s Journal of Nutrition suggests that drinking caffeinated beverages, having the occasional alcoholic drink, and eating a healthy diet may help preserve memory and thinking skills long into old age. In particular, foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet—fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, and whole grains—show promise for preserving memory and preventing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.",
            "date_published": "2014-06-18T18:54:34-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2014-06-18T18:54:34-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8514/conversions/Coffee-brain-memory-caffeine-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Memory","Mental Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cant-let-go-hoarding-201405227163",
            "title": "When you can’t let go: What to do about hoarding",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cant-let-go-hoarding-201405227163",
            "content_html": "Many of us have trouble parting with our possessions—even when we no longer need them. Some people hold onto decades’ worth of receipts, newspapers, and other seemingly useless items. They have hoarding disorder—a mental health condition characterized by a compulsive need to acquire and keep possessions, even when they’re not needed. Exactly when a “pack rat” crosses the line into true hoarding has to do with the intensity with which they’re saving, and the difficulty getting rid of things. Severe hoarders can accumulate so much that they render their living spaces unusable—and dangerous. Hoarding also takes an emotional toll on families and friends. Experts recommend treating hoarders with hoarding cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help the person better understand why he or she is hoarding, and to improve decision-making, organizational, and problem-solving skills.",
            "summary": "Many of us have trouble parting with our possessions—even when we no longer need them. Some people hold onto decades’ worth of receipts, newspapers, and other seemingly useless items. They have hoarding disorder—a mental health condition characterized by a compulsive need to acquire and keep possessions, even when they’re not needed. Exactly when a “pack rat” crosses the line into true hoarding has to do with the intensity with which they’re saving, and the difficulty getting rid of things. Severe hoarders can accumulate so much that they render their living spaces unusable—and dangerous. Hoarding also takes an emotional toll on families and friends. Experts recommend treating hoarders with hoarding cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help the person better understand why he or she is hoarding, and to improve decision-making, organizational, and problem-solving skills.",
            "date_published": "2014-05-22T12:48:41-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2014-05-22T12:48:41-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8505/conversions/hoarding2-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Mental Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/expert-panel-says-widespread-testing-alzheimers-dementia-201403257090",
            "title": "Expert panel says “no” to widespread testing for Alzheimer’s, dementia",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/expert-panel-says-widespread-testing-alzheimers-dementia-201403257090",
            "content_html": "A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association says that as many as 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia. Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. That’s 470,000 Americans this year alone. Given that these thieves of memory and personality are so common and so feared, should all older Americans be tested for them? In proposed guidelines released yesterday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said “no.” Why not? Even after conducting a thorough review of the evidence, the panel said that there isn’t enough solid evidence to recommend screening, especially since not enough is known about the benefits and the harms. In part, the recommendation is based on the sad fact that so far there aren’t any truly effective approaches to stop the forward progress of dementia.",
            "summary": "A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association says that as many as 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia. Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. That’s 470,000 Americans this year alone. Given that these thieves of memory and personality are so common and so feared, should all older Americans be tested for them? In proposed guidelines released yesterday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said “no.” Why not? Even after conducting a thorough review of the evidence, the panel said that there isn’t enough solid evidence to recommend screening, especially since not enough is known about the benefits and the harms. In part, the recommendation is based on the sad fact that so far there aren’t any truly effective approaches to stop the forward progress of dementia.",
            "date_published": "2014-03-25T20:00:05-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2014-03-25T20:00:05-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8491/conversions/Brain-w-Alzheimers-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Mental Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/death-spouse-partner-can-lead-heart-attack-stroke-201402277055",
            "title": "Death of a spouse or partner can lead to heart attack or stroke",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/death-spouse-partner-can-lead-heart-attack-stroke-201402277055",
            "content_html": "The grief of losing a spouse or partner affects not just emotional and mental health, but physical health as well. The surviving spouse or partner often develops health problems in the weeks and months that follow. A study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine found that individuals who had lost a spouse or partner were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke within the next 30 days. Grief activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for revving up the body’s fight-or-flight response. That can lead to stress-induced changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and blood clotting. There is also a tendency after such a profound loss for the surviving spouse or partner to disregard his or her own health. It can take several months to a year to work through grief and grieving. If it lasts much longer, and is interfering with daily life—seeing friends, doing once-pleasurable activities—it’s possible that grief has morphed into something more serious, like depression.",
            "summary": "The grief of losing a spouse or partner affects not just emotional and mental health, but physical health as well. The surviving spouse or partner often develops health problems in the weeks and months that follow. A study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine found that individuals who had lost a spouse or partner were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke within the next 30 days. Grief activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for revving up the body’s fight-or-flight response. That can lead to stress-induced changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and blood clotting. There is also a tendency after such a profound loss for the surviving spouse or partner to disregard his or her own health. It can take several months to a year to work through grief and grieving. If it lasts much longer, and is interfering with daily life—seeing friends, doing once-pleasurable activities—it’s possible that grief has morphed into something more serious, like depression.",
            "date_published": "2014-02-27T13:42:21-05:00",
            "date_modified": "2014-02-27T13:42:21-05:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8484/conversions/old-Man-s-Hand-Resting-On-Headstone-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Heart Health","Stroke","Mental Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/too-much-sitting-linked-to-an-early-death-201401297004",
            "title": "Too much sitting linked to an early death",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/too-much-sitting-linked-to-an-early-death-201401297004",
            "content_html": "Many Americans spend most of each workday sitting in a chair, their fingers the only part of their bodies moving with any intensity. The ease of this modern workday could come at the expense of longevity. A new study of older women in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that sitting for long stretches of time increases the odds of an untimely death. And here’s the kicker: Regular exercise doesn’t do much to diminish the risk of sitting all day. When you sit, you expend fewer calories than you would while standing, and you demand little effort from your muscles. This can help set the stage for diabetes and heart disease. One way to avoid prolonged sitting during the workday is to switch to a standing desk, or one that can adjust to sitting and standing positions. An easier, no-cost solution is to set your smartphone timer to go off every 30 to 60 minutes during the day, and move around when the alarm rings.",
            "summary": "Many Americans spend most of each workday sitting in a chair, their fingers the only part of their bodies moving with any intensity. The ease of this modern workday could come at the expense of longevity. A new study of older women in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that sitting for long stretches of time increases the odds of an untimely death. And here’s the kicker: Regular exercise doesn’t do much to diminish the risk of sitting all day. When you sit, you expend fewer calories than you would while standing, and you demand little effort from your muscles. This can help set the stage for diabetes and heart disease. One way to avoid prolonged sitting during the workday is to switch to a standing desk, or one that can adjust to sitting and standing positions. An easier, no-cost solution is to set your smartphone timer to go off every 30 to 60 minutes during the day, and move around when the alarm rings.",
            "date_published": "2014-01-29T20:46:46-05:00",
            "date_modified": "2014-01-29T20:46:46-05:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8477/conversions/Woman-working-at-desk-slouching-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Exercise and Fitness" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tea-drink-to-your-health-201312186947",
            "title": "Tea: Drink to your health?",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tea-drink-to-your-health-201312186947",
            "content_html": "Could tea be a health beverage? Eleven new studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highlight the many ways that tea may improve health: Tea drinking appears to lower the risk for heart disease and stroke, may strengthen bones, and appears to improve mood, concentration, and performance. Natural compounds called polyphenols in tea might protect against several cancers, including those of the prostate, GI tract, lungs, breast, and skin, and may also increase metabolism and promote weight loss. Those possible benefits apply to tea, not tea extracts condensed into pills. If you’re a tea drinker, enjoy your favorite brew with the added satisfaction that it may be good for your health. If you aren’t, there’s no reason to start.",
            "summary": "Could tea be a health beverage? Eleven new studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highlight the many ways that tea may improve health: Tea drinking appears to lower the risk for heart disease and stroke, may strengthen bones, and appears to improve mood, concentration, and performance. Natural compounds called polyphenols in tea might protect against several cancers, including those of the prostate, GI tract, lungs, breast, and skin, and may also increase metabolism and promote weight loss. Those possible benefits apply to tea, not tea extracts condensed into pills. If you’re a tea drinker, enjoy your favorite brew with the added satisfaction that it may be good for your health. If you aren’t, there’s no reason to start.",
            "date_published": "2013-12-18T17:29:15-05:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-12-18T17:29:15-05:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8468/conversions/Tea-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Diet and nutrition" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/radiation-for-breast-cancer-can-increase-heart-risks-2-201310306820",
            "title": "Radiation for breast cancer can increase heart risks",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/radiation-for-breast-cancer-can-increase-heart-risks-2-201310306820",
            "content_html": "Radiation, on its own or coupled with other treatments, has helped many women survive breast cancer. Yet radiation therapy can cause the appearance of heart disease years later. New research published in JAMA Internal Medicine estimates that the increased lifetime risk for a heart attack or other major heart event in women who’ve had breast cancer radiation is between 0.5% and 3.5%. The risk is highest among women who get radiation to the left breast—understandable, since that’s where the heart is located. The heart effects of radiation begin emerging as soon as five years after treatment. However, future heart risk should not be the reason to abandon this important component of treatment. Cancer experts are doing more and more to minimize the amount of radiation the heart receives.",
            "summary": "Radiation, on its own or coupled with other treatments, has helped many women survive breast cancer. Yet radiation therapy can cause the appearance of heart disease years later. New research published in JAMA Internal Medicine estimates that the increased lifetime risk for a heart attack or other major heart event in women who’ve had breast cancer radiation is between 0.5% and 3.5%. The risk is highest among women who get radiation to the left breast—understandable, since that’s where the heart is located. The heart effects of radiation begin emerging as soon as five years after treatment. However, future heart risk should not be the reason to abandon this important component of treatment. Cancer experts are doing more and more to minimize the amount of radiation the heart receives.",
            "date_published": "2013-10-30T17:09:58-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-10-30T17:09:58-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8446/conversions/Female-doctor-with-stethoscope-e1383152948196-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Cancer","Women's Health","Heart Health","Breast Cancer" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/weight-loss-breathing-devices-still-best-for-treating-obstructive-sleep-apnea-201310026713",
            "title": "Weight loss, breathing devices still best for treating obstructive sleep apnea",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/weight-loss-breathing-devices-still-best-for-treating-obstructive-sleep-apnea-201310026713",
            "content_html": "Having obstructive sleep apnea puts you at risk for a number of conditions, including high blood pressure and stroke. New guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) emphasize lifestyle modifications for treating obstructive sleep apnea to prevent those conditions. The guidelines don’t offer any radical treatment updates, but they do reinforce the effectiveness of tried and true therapies. The first recommendation is weight loss for people who are overweight and obese. The link between excess weight and sleep apnea is well established. The second recommendation is using continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. This is typically the first-line treatment because weight loss can be so hard to achieve.",
            "summary": "Having obstructive sleep apnea puts you at risk for a number of conditions, including high blood pressure and stroke. New guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) emphasize lifestyle modifications for treating obstructive sleep apnea to prevent those conditions. The guidelines don’t offer any radical treatment updates, but they do reinforce the effectiveness of tried and true therapies. The first recommendation is weight loss for people who are overweight and obese. The link between excess weight and sleep apnea is well established. The second recommendation is using continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. This is typically the first-line treatment because weight loss can be so hard to achieve.",
            "date_published": "2013-10-02T17:54:40-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-10-02T17:54:40-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8432/conversions/Man-snoring-sleep-apnea-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Sleep" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/insoles-no-help-for-knee-osteoarthritis-201308216629",
            "title": "Insoles no help for knee osteoarthritis",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/insoles-no-help-for-knee-osteoarthritis-201308216629",
            "content_html": "Nearly a third of Americans will develop osteoarthritis of the knee before age 70. With no “cure” beside knee replacement on the horizon for this painful joint condition, relief often has to come from pain pills. Assistive devices such as wedge insoles are often prescribed as a less drastic, side effect-free treatment option. But do they really work? A review of research published today in JAMA indicates that these shoe inserts do little—if anything—to relieve arthritis pain. The findings echo new osteoarthritis treatment guidelines released by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in May. Based on current research, the AAOS said it couldn’t recommend lateral wedge insoles for people with medial knee osteoarthritis.",
            "summary": "Nearly a third of Americans will develop osteoarthritis of the knee before age 70. With no “cure” beside knee replacement on the horizon for this painful joint condition, relief often has to come from pain pills. Assistive devices such as wedge insoles are often prescribed as a less drastic, side effect-free treatment option. But do they really work? A review of research published today in JAMA indicates that these shoe inserts do little—if anything—to relieve arthritis pain. The findings echo new osteoarthritis treatment guidelines released by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in May. Based on current research, the AAOS said it couldn’t recommend lateral wedge insoles for people with medial knee osteoarthritis.",
            "date_published": "2013-08-21T15:43:30-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-08-21T15:43:30-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8415/conversions/Osteoarthritis-Knee-pain-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Bones and joints" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/angelina-jolies-prophylactic-mastectomy-a-difficult-decision-201305156255",
            "title": "Angelina Jolie’s prophylactic mastectomy a difficult decision",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/angelina-jolies-prophylactic-mastectomy-a-difficult-decision-201305156255",
            "content_html": "Angelina Jolie revealed yesterday in a New York Times op-ed article that she underwent a double mastectomy even though she doesn’t have breast cancer. She did that because she carries a gene (BRCA1) that substantially increases her chances of developing the disease. Her mother’s 10-year losing battle with ovarian cancer helped guide her decision. Women who carry BRCA1, BRCA2, or who have at least two close relatives—a mother, sister, or daughter—who have had breast or ovarian cancer are candidates for prophylactic mastectomy. Some women who develop cancer in one breast often have both breasts removed to avoid a recurrence of the disease. Taking time to make the decision, and talking it over with a trusted and knowledgeable expert, is an important part of the decision-making process. Having as much information as possible before choosing prophylactic mastectomy is as empowering as making the decision itself.",
            "summary": "Angelina Jolie revealed yesterday in a New York Times op-ed article that she underwent a double mastectomy even though she doesn’t have breast cancer. She did that because she carries a gene (BRCA1) that substantially increases her chances of developing the disease. Her mother’s 10-year losing battle with ovarian cancer helped guide her decision. Women who carry BRCA1, BRCA2, or who have at least two close relatives—a mother, sister, or daughter—who have had breast or ovarian cancer are candidates for prophylactic mastectomy. Some women who develop cancer in one breast often have both breasts removed to avoid a recurrence of the disease. Taking time to make the decision, and talking it over with a trusted and knowledgeable expert, is an important part of the decision-making process. Having as much information as possible before choosing prophylactic mastectomy is as empowering as making the decision itself.",
            "date_published": "2013-05-15T15:50:06-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-05-15T15:50:06-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8370/conversions/Angelina-Jolie-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Breast Cancer" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/angina-pain-is-similar-in-men-and-women-though-descriptions-may-differ-201304106058",
            "title": "Angina pain is similar in men and women, though descriptions may differ",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/angina-pain-is-similar-in-men-and-women-though-descriptions-may-differ-201304106058",
            "content_html": "Chest pain brought on by exercise or stress, a condition known as angina, holds back millions of Americans from living life to the fullest. There’s long been a perception that angina symptoms in women are different than they are in men. Doctors often use the term “typical angina” to describe the angina symptoms that men relate. Symptoms more commonly described by women have been dubbed “atypical angina”—suggesting that women are somehow experiencing an unusual manifestation of heart trouble. A new Harvard study shows that women and men probably experience the same symptoms, but describe them differently. By any name or description, chest discomfort is crucial for women—and their doctors—to pay attention to. And that means acknowledging the possibility of angina no matter how a women describes suspicious chest-related symptoms.",
            "summary": "Chest pain brought on by exercise or stress, a condition known as angina, holds back millions of Americans from living life to the fullest. There’s long been a perception that angina symptoms in women are different than they are in men. Doctors often use the term “typical angina” to describe the angina symptoms that men relate. Symptoms more commonly described by women have been dubbed “atypical angina”—suggesting that women are somehow experiencing an unusual manifestation of heart trouble. A new Harvard study shows that women and men probably experience the same symptoms, but describe them differently. By any name or description, chest discomfort is crucial for women—and their doctors—to pay attention to. And that means acknowledging the possibility of angina no matter how a women describes suspicious chest-related symptoms.",
            "date_published": "2013-04-10T20:25:32-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-04-10T20:25:32-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8352/conversions/Woman-with-chest-pain-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Heart Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/chelation-therapy-offers-small-if-any-benefit-for-heart-disease-201303266030",
            "title": "Chelation therapy offers small, if any, benefit for heart disease",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/chelation-therapy-offers-small-if-any-benefit-for-heart-disease-201303266030",
            "content_html": "Chelation therapy removes metals that have built up in the body. It is an FDA-approved way to treat mercury, lead, and other types of heavy-metal poisoning, as well as for iron overload (hemochromatosis) and some types of anemia. It has also been touted as an alternative therapy that can cure heart disease. Results from the 10-year, $31 million Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) show that it slightly reduced the risk of heart problems in heart attack survivors. Proponents of chelation therapy will say this proves what they’ve been preaching. But the editors of JAMA, which published the trial results say that the findings “should serve to dissuade responsible practitioners from providing or recommending chelation therapy for patients with coronary disease and should discourage patients with previous MI [heart attack] from seeking this therapy with the hope of preventing subsequent cardiovascular events.”",
            "summary": "Chelation therapy removes metals that have built up in the body. It is an FDA-approved way to treat mercury, lead, and other types of heavy-metal poisoning, as well as for iron overload (hemochromatosis) and some types of anemia. It has also been touted as an alternative therapy that can cure heart disease. Results from the 10-year, $31 million Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) show that it slightly reduced the risk of heart problems in heart attack survivors. Proponents of chelation therapy will say this proves what they’ve been preaching. But the editors of JAMA, which published the trial results say that the findings “should serve to dissuade responsible practitioners from providing or recommending chelation therapy for patients with coronary disease and should discourage patients with previous MI [heart attack] from seeking this therapy with the hope of preventing subsequent cardiovascular events.”",
            "date_published": "2013-03-26T20:00:31-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-03-26T20:00:31-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8348/conversions/Human-heart-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Heart Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/recognizing-the-unusual-signs-of-depression-201302275938",
            "title": "Recognizing the “unusual” signs of depression",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/recognizing-the-unusual-signs-of-depression-201302275938",
            "content_html": "People tend to think that the telltale sign of depression is sadness—a pervasive down, dragging feeling that won’t let up, day after day. But depression often manifests itself as something else entirely—like aches and pains or memory lapses. These “unusual” symptoms are actually quite common. They can mask depression—and delay an important diagnosis—especially in older people, who often display their depression in ways other than sadness. These include trouble sleeping, lack of energy, fatigue, trouble concentrating or remembering, loss of appetite, and aches and pains that don’t go away. If you have one or more of these symptoms that can’t be traced to an illness or ailment, a frank talk with a trusted doctor about the possibility of depression might be a good step forward.",
            "summary": "People tend to think that the telltale sign of depression is sadness—a pervasive down, dragging feeling that won’t let up, day after day. But depression often manifests itself as something else entirely—like aches and pains or memory lapses. These “unusual” symptoms are actually quite common. They can mask depression—and delay an important diagnosis—especially in older people, who often display their depression in ways other than sadness. These include trouble sleeping, lack of energy, fatigue, trouble concentrating or remembering, loss of appetite, and aches and pains that don’t go away. If you have one or more of these symptoms that can’t be traced to an illness or ailment, a frank talk with a trusted doctor about the possibility of depression might be a good step forward.",
            "date_published": "2013-02-27T18:55:29-05:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-02-27T18:55:29-05:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8333/conversions/Depressed-woman-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Men's Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-stigma-of-chronic-migraine-201301235828",
            "title": "The stigma of chronic migraine",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-stigma-of-chronic-migraine-201301235828",
            "content_html": "At least once a week throughout my childhood, a migraine would force my mother to retreat into her bedroom. She’d shut the blinds and burrow under the covers, overwhelmed by a pain so severe it turned the faintest sound into an agonizing roar and launched waves of nausea with the slightest movement. Though my family and I tried to be sympathetic, it was hard for us to fully comprehend my mother’s migraines or understand why she had to miss so many events because of them. When you’re on the outside looking in, you can’t begin to appreciate how severely disabling—and life disrupting—chronic migraine can be. A study from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, released last week in PLoS One, found that chronic migraine sufferers experience as much social stigma as people with epilepsy—a disease that produces far more obvious and dramatic symptoms. Some of that stigma is external—for example, getting treated differently by friends or colleagues, and some is internal.",
            "summary": "At least once a week throughout my childhood, a migraine would force my mother to retreat into her bedroom. She’d shut the blinds and burrow under the covers, overwhelmed by a pain so severe it turned the faintest sound into an agonizing roar and launched waves of nausea with the slightest movement. Though my family and I tried to be sympathetic, it was hard for us to fully comprehend my mother’s migraines or understand why she had to miss so many events because of them. When you’re on the outside looking in, you can’t begin to appreciate how severely disabling—and life disrupting—chronic migraine can be. A study from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, released last week in PLoS One, found that chronic migraine sufferers experience as much social stigma as people with epilepsy—a disease that produces far more obvious and dramatic symptoms. Some of that stigma is external—for example, getting treated differently by friends or colleagues, and some is internal.",
            "date_published": "2013-01-23T14:50:34-05:00",
            "date_modified": "2013-01-23T14:50:34-05:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8319/conversions/Woman-with-migraine2-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [  ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fear-of-breast-cancer-recurrence-prompting-women-to-choose-prophylactic-mastectomy-201212055619",
            "title": "Fear of breast cancer recurrence prompting women to choose prophylactic mastectomy",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fear-of-breast-cancer-recurrence-prompting-women-to-choose-prophylactic-mastectomy-201212055619",
            "content_html": "Living through the physical and emotional toll of breast cancer is so traumatic that some women can’t bear the thought of doing it again. That’s why a growing number of women who have already been diagnosed with cancer in one breast are taking the drastic measure of having both breasts removed (a procedure called prophylactic mastectomy). Yet a University of Michigan study presented last week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Care Symposium showed that nearly three-quarters of women who had this procedure were actually at very low risk of developing cancer in the healthy breast. In other words, many women are unnecessarily exposing themselves to the potential risks of a double mastectomy—including pain, infection, and scarring. The new study suggests that more and better information about breast cancer recurrence—and the risks and benefits of prophylactic mastectomy—are needed as women consider this procedure.",
            "summary": "Living through the physical and emotional toll of breast cancer is so traumatic that some women can’t bear the thought of doing it again. That’s why a growing number of women who have already been diagnosed with cancer in one breast are taking the drastic measure of having both breasts removed (a procedure called prophylactic mastectomy). Yet a University of Michigan study presented last week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Care Symposium showed that nearly three-quarters of women who had this procedure were actually at very low risk of developing cancer in the healthy breast. In other words, many women are unnecessarily exposing themselves to the potential risks of a double mastectomy—including pain, infection, and scarring. The new study suggests that more and better information about breast cancer recurrence—and the risks and benefits of prophylactic mastectomy—are needed as women consider this procedure.",
            "date_published": "2012-12-05T17:17:42-05:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-12-05T17:17:42-05:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8282/conversions/Breast-cancer-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Cancer","Women's Health","Breast Cancer" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/zombie-apocalypse-only-in-your-dreams-201210315478",
            "title": "Zombie apocalypse? Only in your dreams",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/zombie-apocalypse-only-in-your-dreams-201210315478",
            "content_html": "It’s Halloween—a time when we’re preoccupied with witches, ghouls, and other frightful creatures. But this year, no creature is generating as much buzz as the zombie. Zombies have inspired movies and TV shows, video games—even a bloody Pride and Prejudice takeoff. Could all this talk of the undead be foreshadowing a real-life zombie apocalypse? In fiction, yes. But not in real life. A Harvard ethnobotanist once found that a neurotoxin was the cause of several cases of zombie-like living deaths in Haiti. Oddly shaped proteins called prions have also been linked to brain diseases that vaguely resemble zombieism. In his novel The Zombie Autopsies, Dr. Steven Schlozman, a zombie enthusiast and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, imagined an infection scenario that turns normal human beings into flesh-craving monsters. Although a pandemic that creates zombie-like symptoms is theoretically possible, a real-life zombie apocalypse shouldn’t be high up on our list of worries.",
            "summary": "It’s Halloween—a time when we’re preoccupied with witches, ghouls, and other frightful creatures. But this year, no creature is generating as much buzz as the zombie. Zombies have inspired movies and TV shows, video games—even a bloody Pride and Prejudice takeoff. Could all this talk of the undead be foreshadowing a real-life zombie apocalypse? In fiction, yes. But not in real life. A Harvard ethnobotanist once found that a neurotoxin was the cause of several cases of zombie-like living deaths in Haiti. Oddly shaped proteins called prions have also been linked to brain diseases that vaguely resemble zombieism. In his novel The Zombie Autopsies, Dr. Steven Schlozman, a zombie enthusiast and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, imagined an infection scenario that turns normal human beings into flesh-craving monsters. Although a pandemic that creates zombie-like symptoms is theoretically possible, a real-life zombie apocalypse shouldn’t be high up on our list of worries.",
            "date_published": "2012-10-31T00:00:00-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-10-31T00:00:00-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8264/conversions/Zombie-warning-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [  ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-than-conventionally-grown-food-201209055264",
            "title": "Organic food no more nutritious than conventionally grown food",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-than-conventionally-grown-food-201209055264",
            "content_html": "",
            "summary": "",
            "date_published": "2012-09-05T00:00:00-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-09-05T00:00:00-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8236/conversions/Organic-food-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Healthy aging and longevity" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/try-tai-chi-to-improve-balance-avoid-falls-201208235198",
            "title": "Try tai chi to improve balance, avoid falls",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/try-tai-chi-to-improve-balance-avoid-falls-201208235198",
            "content_html": "Compared to the pumping intensity of spin or Zumba, a tai chi class looks like it’s being performed in slow motion. But this exercise program is far more dynamic than it looks. As an aerobic workout, tai chi is roughly the equivalent of a brisk walk. And as a resistance training routine, some studies have found it similar to more vigorous forms of weight training. It is especially useful for improving balance and preventing falls—a major concern for older adults. Tai chi helps improve balance because it targets all the physical components needed to stay upright—leg strength, flexibility, range of motion, and reflexes—all of which tend to decline with age. It also offers an emotional boost to balance by removing the fear of falling that can make some people afraid to exercise.",
            "summary": "Compared to the pumping intensity of spin or Zumba, a tai chi class looks like it’s being performed in slow motion. But this exercise program is far more dynamic than it looks. As an aerobic workout, tai chi is roughly the equivalent of a brisk walk. And as a resistance training routine, some studies have found it similar to more vigorous forms of weight training. It is especially useful for improving balance and preventing falls—a major concern for older adults. Tai chi helps improve balance because it targets all the physical components needed to stay upright—leg strength, flexibility, range of motion, and reflexes—all of which tend to decline with age. It also offers an emotional boost to balance by removing the fear of falling that can make some people afraid to exercise.",
            "date_published": "2012-08-23T13:00:51-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-08-23T13:00:51-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8231/conversions/Older-woman-doing-tai-chi-exercise-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Exercise and Fitness" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-sluggish-unsteady-walk-might-signal-memory-problems-201207235047",
            "title": "A sluggish, unsteady walk might signal memory problems",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-sluggish-unsteady-walk-might-signal-memory-problems-201207235047",
            "content_html": "Is there a spring in your step—or a wobble in your walk? The speed and stability of your stride could offer important clues about the state of your brain’s health. According to new research, an unsteady gait is one early warning sign that you might be headed for memory problems down the road. A group of studies reported last week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver, Canada, revealed a strong link between walking ability and mental function. What’s behind this connection? Walking is a complex task that requires more than just moving the leg muscles. Walking requires scanning the environment for obstacles and safely navigating around them, all while talking and carrying out various other tasks. The studies found that walking rhythm was related to information processing speed; walking variations and speed were associated with executive function (the mental processes we use to plan and organize); and walking speed became significantly slower as mental decline grew more severe.",
            "summary": "Is there a spring in your step—or a wobble in your walk? The speed and stability of your stride could offer important clues about the state of your brain’s health. According to new research, an unsteady gait is one early warning sign that you might be headed for memory problems down the road. A group of studies reported last week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver, Canada, revealed a strong link between walking ability and mental function. What’s behind this connection? Walking is a complex task that requires more than just moving the leg muscles. Walking requires scanning the environment for obstacles and safely navigating around them, all while talking and carrying out various other tasks. The studies found that walking rhythm was related to information processing speed; walking variations and speed were associated with executive function (the mental processes we use to plan and organize); and walking speed became significantly slower as mental decline grew more severe.",
            "date_published": "2012-07-23T19:11:55-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-07-23T19:11:55-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8215/conversions/Son-elderly-father-strolling-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Exercise and Fitness","Memory" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/silent-strokes-can-jeopardize-memory-201206044846",
            "title": "Silent strokes can jeopardize memory",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/silent-strokes-can-jeopardize-memory-201206044846",
            "content_html": "The symptoms of a stroke are sometimes obvious, like numbness or weakness on one side of the face, trouble speaking, difficulty walking, and vision problems. Some strokes, though, pass completely unnoticed—at least right away. But as reported in the June issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, the damage these so-called silent strokes cause to fragile brain tissue can have significant and lasting effects on memory. Although silent strokes don’t cause any obvious symptoms, the interruption in blood flow to the brain can harm the processes needed to form or recall memories, especially if several of them occur over time. You can help prevent silent strokes the same way you others, by controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising.",
            "summary": "The symptoms of a stroke are sometimes obvious, like numbness or weakness on one side of the face, trouble speaking, difficulty walking, and vision problems. Some strokes, though, pass completely unnoticed—at least right away. But as reported in the June issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, the damage these so-called silent strokes cause to fragile brain tissue can have significant and lasting effects on memory. Although silent strokes don’t cause any obvious symptoms, the interruption in blood flow to the brain can harm the processes needed to form or recall memories, especially if several of them occur over time. You can help prevent silent strokes the same way you others, by controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising.",
            "date_published": "2012-06-04T17:49:28-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-06-04T17:49:28-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8191/conversions/Doctor-looking-at-brain-MRIs-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Heart Health","Mental Health" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nsaids-pain-relief-and-skin-cancer-protection-in-one-pill-201206014838",
            "title": "NSAIDs—pain relief and skin cancer protection in one pill?",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nsaids-pain-relief-and-skin-cancer-protection-in-one-pill-201206014838",
            "content_html": "Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can subdue a pounding headache and ease arthritic aches. Could these and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) serve double duty, protecting against skin cancer even while they relieve pain? A new study published online in the journal Cancer suggests they might. But based on the current evidence, cancer prevention alone doesn’t […]",
            "summary": "Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can subdue a pounding headache and ease arthritic aches. Could these and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) serve double duty, protecting against skin cancer even while they relieve pain? A new study published online in the journal Cancer suggests they might. But based on the current evidence, cancer prevention alone doesn’t […]",
            "date_published": "2012-06-01T18:24:48-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-06-01T18:24:48-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8190/conversions/Skin-cancer-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Cancer" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/thigh-fractures-linked-to-osteoporosis-drugs-long-term-use-questioned-201205214737",
            "title": "Thigh fractures linked to osteoporosis drugs; long-term use questioned",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/thigh-fractures-linked-to-osteoporosis-drugs-long-term-use-questioned-201205214737",
            "content_html": "Since bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel), and zoledronic acid (Reclast) were first introduced in the mid-1990s, they’ve become a staple of osteoporosis treatment. Yet an FDA review recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine questions whether there’s any benefit to staying on these drugs long-term—especially considering their potential for side effects. A report released today in the Archives of Internal Medicine highlights one of those side effects, linking bisphosphonate use to a higher risk of unusual fractures in the femur (thighbone). If you’ve been taking bisphosphonates long-term, you may be wondering, “What now?” If you’ve been taking bisphosphonates for less than five years you probably don’t need to change what you’re doing. But if you’ve been on these drugs for more than five years, talk to your doctor about whether it’s worth continuing.",
            "summary": "Since bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel), and zoledronic acid (Reclast) were first introduced in the mid-1990s, they’ve become a staple of osteoporosis treatment. Yet an FDA review recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine questions whether there’s any benefit to staying on these drugs long-term—especially considering their potential for side effects. A report released today in the Archives of Internal Medicine highlights one of those side effects, linking bisphosphonate use to a higher risk of unusual fractures in the femur (thighbone). If you’ve been taking bisphosphonates long-term, you may be wondering, “What now?” If you’ve been taking bisphosphonates for less than five years you probably don’t need to change what you’re doing. But if you’ve been on these drugs for more than five years, talk to your doctor about whether it’s worth continuing.",
            "date_published": "2012-05-21T20:00:58-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-05-21T20:00:58-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8179/conversions/Osteoporosis-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Osteoporosis" ]
        },
        {
            "id": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/americans-are-bringing-down-their-cholesterol-levels-201205074657",
            "title": "Americans are bringing down their cholesterol levels",
            "url": "https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/americans-are-bringing-down-their-cholesterol-levels-201205074657",
            "content_html": "Over the past decade, the percentage of Americans with high cholesterol has been declining, from 19.1% to 14.3% of women, and 17.2% to 12.2% of men, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. Where we’re falling short is in checking our cholesterol. About 70% of women and 66% of men had their cholesterol tested in the past 5 years—slightly under the 80% objective. If your numbers aren’t quite where they should be, there are a number of ways you can help bring them back into a healthy range. Many people turn to a statin or other cholesterol-lowering medication. But it makes sense to try diet and exercise first.",
            "summary": "Over the past decade, the percentage of Americans with high cholesterol has been declining, from 19.1% to 14.3% of women, and 17.2% to 12.2% of men, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. Where we’re falling short is in checking our cholesterol. About 70% of women and 66% of men had their cholesterol tested in the past 5 years—slightly under the 80% objective. If your numbers aren’t quite where they should be, there are a number of ways you can help bring them back into a healthy range. Many people turn to a statin or other cholesterol-lowering medication. But it makes sense to try diet and exercise first.",
            "date_published": "2012-05-07T18:38:36-04:00",
            "date_modified": "2012-05-07T18:38:36-04:00",
                        "authors": [                { "name": "Stephanie Watson" }            ],
                        "image": "https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/8171/conversions/Fruits-and-vegetables-thumb.jpg",

            "tags": [ "Heart Health" ]
        }        
    ]
}