Getting your five a day

Research has consistently shown that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. However, many men have trouble reaching this daily quota. To achieve this goal, it’s best to focus on food quality and adding some fruits and vegetables to every meal and snacks. (Locked) More »

Are there any health benefits to fish oil?

Fish intake remains an important part of a healthy diet, but the enthusiasm for fish oil supplements has been dampened by several recent studies that showed no benefit for protecting against heart disease, relieving dry eye, or reducing arthritis pain. (Locked) More »

Do I ever need a stress test?

A stress test does not reliably identify people at risk for a heart attack or sudden death and is not recommend for otherwise healthy men. However, it can be used as part of an evaluation if a person has heart disease symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath. (Locked) More »

How meditation helps with depression

 Image: © skynesher/Getty Images Depression continues to be a major health issue for older adults. It affects about 20% of adults ages 65 and older, and regular depression can lead to higher risks for heart disease and death from illnesses. It also affects people's daily lives by making them more socially isolated and affecting cognitive function, especially memory. In fact, a study of 1,111 people (average age 71), published online May 9, 2018, by Neurology, found that those who had greater symptoms of depression also had worse episodic memory — the ability to recall specific experiences and events. More »

Facts about alcohol and heart health

The evidence linking alcohol with greater heart health benefits continues to evolve. Most research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol— about one drink per day—can raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. However, drinking much more than this can have a damaging effect and raise a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and early death. The advice, then, is to keep alcohol intake to moderate levels and avoid excessive drinking. (Locked) More »

An eye on glaucoma drugs

Glaucoma is a disease in which the eye does not drain fluid well. This can increase eye pressure, which damages the eye’s optic nerve and can lead to vision loss and blindness. Once glaucoma is diagnosed, treatment requires daily eye drop medication to slow or stop its progression. Four types of drugs and combinations of them are currently used, but two new drugs have been introduced that can benefit a subset of patients who need extra help to reduce eye pressure by improving fluid drainage. (Locked) More »

How to sleep through the night

 Image: © Motortion/Getty Images Most men experience bouts of sleeplessness as they age. They have trouble going to sleep, wake up in the night, and then have trouble falling back to sleep. Most of this has to do with normal aging, but don't think you need less sleep because you are older. "Research has shown that your sleep needs stay constant throughout adulthood," says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, associate physician with the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Instead, it's your sleep patterns that change, and that is what can interfere with sleep quality." More »

Eggs might help your heart, not harm it

A study found that people with diabetes or prediabetes who ate 12 eggs a week saw no increase in their cardiovascular risk factors compared with those who ate two eggs or fewer. Another study found that people who ate an egg per day had a lower risk of heart disease compared with those who did not eat any eggs. More »

Anticholinergic drugs linked with dementia

Anticholinergic medications used to treat bladder conditions, Parkinson’s disease, and depression are associated with an increased risk of dementia, suggests a new study. People who got dementia had taken the medications for between four and 20 years, and the longer they took the drugs, the greater the risk. More »

Lifting weights might lift your mood

A new study found that resistance training, such as weight lifting and exercises like push-ups, can reduce depression symptoms.  Longer and harder sessions did not provide any more symptom improvement compared to shorter and less vigorous workouts. More »