Addiction Archive

Research we're watching

If you're able to quickly shrug off stressful events, that may be good for your health. A study in the March 19 issue of Psychological Science found that people who held on to stress—those who reported still having negative feelings about a stressful event the day after it happened — had more chronic health problems a decade later.

Researchers analyzed data from a nationwide survey that asked more than 1,100 adults about the number and type of stressful experiences they had each day for eight days. These included everything from arguments with others to problems at work, home, or school. Participants rated their emotional reactions to these stressors at the time and afterward.

Growing your real-life social network is important for health. Consider these ideas to get started.

 Image: © yacobchuk/Getty Images

When we're young, networking can be an important strategy to get ahead in business. Making new acquaintances and building relationships can lead to career opportunities. But later in life, networking takes on new significance: you may need it to stay connected socially. "Your social network shrinks. Your children leave home, you're no longer at work, or you've moved away. And that can lead to isolation and loneliness unless you maintain or rebuild your network," says Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist who specializes in behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Isolation and loneliness

Many studies have linked isolation (being cut off from social contact) with a greater chance of having a heart attack or a stroke. A study published online March 27, 2018, by Heart suggested that isolation was independently associated with a 25% to 32% increased risk of death among people followed for seven years who had already had a heart attack or stroke.

This heart rhythm disorder is linked to thinking and memory problems. But anti-clotting drugs may lower the risk.

Bouts of atrial fibrillation, or afib — a rapid, chaotic heartbeat — make some people feel lightheaded and dizzy, while others don't notice any symptoms. But the most serious threat of this condition is the higher risk of stroke among people with afib compared with those without the disorder (see "Blood clot dangers, large and small"). Now, there's a growing recognition that people with afib also face an increased risk of thinking and memory problems — even if they do not experience a stroke.

Known as cognitive impairment, these problems include trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making routine decisions. The presumed underlying cause? Tiny blood clots that cause "silent" (that is, unrecognized) strokes and gradually injure parts of the brain involved with cognition.

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment, such as how the air smells and feels as you walk your dog, or how a bite of bread tastes with dinner. The ultimate goal is to help shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life.

Scientific examination of mindfulness shows that it can improve both physical and psychological symptoms and create positive changes in health attitudes and behaviors.

Strengths are built-in capacities for certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Everyone has these capacities to one degree or another. Your particular pattern of strengths is part of what makes you unique.

When you play from your strengths, you are likely to feel more energetic and perform better than when you are trying to use a capacity that comes less naturally. For example, one person trying to influence a local school board to ban soft drink sales might have the strength to speak up forcefully and clearly at a general meeting (despite the almost-universal fear of public speaking). Another person strong in team-building might feel uncomfortable speaking out in a meeting but could successfully build consensus among parents, nutritionists, and others to weigh the issue and come to a decision.

We all experience pain in our lives, but can the cure be worse than the condition? In this seminar, Harvard Medical School experts explore the science of pain, the realities of prescription drug dependence and new discoveries and treatments that may lead to better, safer pain management.

Each spring, Harvard Medical School's Office of Communications and External Relations organizes a series of four free "mini-med school" classes for the general public in the heart of Boston's Longwood Medical Area. At the end of the seminar series, participants who attend three out of the four sessions receive a certificate of completion. Topics are selected for their appeal to a lay audience and have included the human genome, nutrition, sleep dynamics and health care access. Faculty from Harvard Medical School and its affiliate hospitals volunteer their time to present these lectures to the community.