Recent Blog Articles
Right-sizing opioid prescriptions after surgery
Ready for your routine medical checkup?
Nicotine addiction explained — and how medications can help
Is your vision impaired? Tips to cope
Misgendering: What it is and why it matters
Healthy brain, healthier heart?
Stories connect us
Wondering about a headline-grabbing drug? Read on
Respiratory virus cases tick upward: What parents should know
Hope: Why it matters
Staying Healthy
Health by the numbers
People with fluctuating numbers — like blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight — may be at higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death.
Image: © RapidEye/Getty Images
Most people battle "yo-yoing" at some point, when their weight, blood pressure, or some other health number keeps going up and down.
On the surface, this may not seem like a problem if you routinely hit the healthy numbers. Yet new research suggests that fluctuations like this may pose a greater health risk than staying at a single level, even if it's not a perfect one.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
