Julie Corliss

Empathy helps people get along with others, but the ability to understand another person’s experience comes more easily to some people than to others. However, the capacity for empathy can be honed and improved like any other skill.

During waking hours you may feel your heart rate fluctuating, and activity or intense emotions can cause it to spike. But what happens to your heart rate when you sleep? It varies then too, depending on the phase of sleep you are in.

Several habits can improve your heart health (and, as a side effect, may make you less vulnerable to infections like the flu or COVID-19). Focusing on a few of these is an excellent way to take care of your heart — and boost your overall health in the process.

Shifting your diet to eat more plant-based foods and less meat and dairy products is a smart choice for your health, wallet, and the planet. These two easy, affordable and adaptable recipes are a good way to give plant-based eating a try.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA), or ministroke, is caused by a temporary lack of blood in part of the brain, usually from a clot. The fleeting symptoms of a TIA can be a warning of risk for an imminent, more serious stroke. In the event of a stroke, getting help immediately is crucial, and knowing the signs will make that more likely.

The trials and challenges of this year are weighing heavily on many people, but attempting to employ positive psychology to put personal struggles in context, and accepting the ups and downs life brings, can ultimately increase positive feelings and provide perspective.

Sleep apnea robs people of high-quality sleep, increases the risk of heart problems, and puts people at higher risk of accidents. While an overnight stay in a sleep lab used to be required to diagnose sleep apnea, now this testing often can be done at home.

Growing numbers of Americans are using some form of marijuana, including edibles and other products. But evidence is emerging that it can be harmful to the heart: it can cause a faster heartbeat and a rise in blood pressure, and chemicals in it can affect medications used to treat heart disease.

Most Americans consume far too much sodium, which raises blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. Spending this extended period of time close to home is a good opportunity to work on cutting sodium from your diet by preparing low-salt meals.

A study comparing the hearts of apes with four different groups of men demonstrates how the heart adapts over a person’s lifetime depending on what exercise a person does (or doesn’t do). The most revealing part of the findings pertained to men who are generally not active.