Caregiving Archive

Researchers have increasingly found links between poor mental health and higher heart disease risk. Stress, childhood trauma, and other issues may affect behavior and trigger physical changes that elevate heart risk. Taking steps to support mental health can potentially improve heart health as well.

News stories frequently tout "breakthrough" drugs, but how often does this turn out to be true? When you read or hear about the results of a study for a new medication, these steps can help you ask questions to get the full story and a better sense of what it might mean for your health.

The US healthcare system is expensive, complicated, dysfunctional — and broken. The system needs a major overhaul, and the arguments for this fall into a few broad categories: high costs, uneven access, and undue emphasis on areas of spending that do not directly benefit patients

It has been known for many years that type 2 diabetes increases a person’s risk for stroke and heart disease, and more recent studies have shown that diabetes also increases risk of dementia. But new research examined the association between when a person first is diagnosed with diabetes and their risk of developing dementia later.

A Harvard study published online March 29, 2021, by JAMA Network Open found that people who looked up health symptoms online were able to correctly diagnosis a condition about half the time.

After receiving an implanted cardiac defibrillator, people are often anxious about receiving a shock from the device. But relaxation therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and support groups may help people cope with this anxiety.

Taking blood pressure readings in both arms can help reveal potential heart risks.