Diet & Weight Loss Archive

Many lifestyle factors can influence the development of atrial fibrillation, and doctors now better understand the importance of these factors in treating afib. Those who are at risk of developing afib can take action to improve their health, and in some cases they may be able to reduce their symptoms.

Want to improve heart health? New research based on blood samples from the original DASH diet shows the DASH diet and another diet high in fruits and veggies can lower measures of heart strain and heart muscle damage within eight weeks.

Prehabilitation aims to increase your strength and health before, not after, a medical procedure.

Rehabilitation can help get you up on your feet again after surgery or a physical setback. But some surgeons are increasingly turning to an innovative approach called prehabilitation in hopes of easing that recovery in the first place.

Prehabilitation, commonly called prehab, is an individualized medical program designed to help people — often those who are older or frail — better withstand and bounce back from an anticipated physically stressful event, such as surgery, says Dr. Julie K. Silver, an associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.

What you do before procedures can help get the best results.

If you're planning a complex medical procedure or surgery, you'll hear a lot about the steps you'll need to take afterward to speed up recovery and reduce complications. But it's equally important to focus on your health beforehand, too.

"Preparing both your body and mind before an invasive medical procedure can help you better manage and overcome the many stresses you encounter," says Dr. Julie Silver, associate chair for the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. "If you are healthier and stronger going in, you have a much higher chance of avoiding setbacks."

Many people wonder if sugar substitutes are worth choosing, or are even safe. There may have a slight benefit for some, but there is also the potential for increased risk of diabetes.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver disease in the United States, caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver. The key to preventing complications is to detect and treat it early, but getting a diagnosis can be tricky.

Most people with type 2 diabetes also have obesity. Weight-loss surgery has a positive impact on risk factors for heart disease, and a recent study found that this surgery significantly reduced the risk of death in people with obesity and diabetes.

Findings from a follow-up on people taking the weight-loss medication Belviq showed a slight increase in the occurrence of cancers, resulting in the drug being withdrawn from the market at the request of the FDA.