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Prediabetes diagnosis as an older adult: What does it really mean?

Prediabetes often precedes the development of type 2 diabetes, and in young and middle-aged people it's important to identify prediabetes because it may be possible to prevent or delay the development of diabetes. Researchers wanted to know if the implications of being diagnosed with prediabetes are similar for older adults.

Shaking off shingles

Shingles is a painful neurological condition that is more likely to attack as people age. Left untreated, it can increase risk for chronic pain, blindness, and other long-term health problems.

Need physical therapy? 3 key questions your PT will ask

Physical therapy can be helpful if you have an injury or a condition that affects mobility or is causing pain. But before you embark on a course of treatment, your physical therapist will ask crucial questions that will help shape your program.

Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk

People who ate healthy plant-based foods had a 10% reduction in stroke risk, compared with people who ate unhealthy plant-based foods, according to a Harvard study published online March 10, 2021, by the journal Neurology.

Answering your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

People who get the COVID-19 vaccine may experience arm pain, rashes, aches, fever, or fatigue. Doctors say it's worth the risk, since an older adult's risk of dying from COVID is 3% to 11%.

Alternatives to warfarin may be safer, more effective for afib

For people with certain types of valvular atrial fibrillation, drugs known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) may be safer and more effective than warfarin (Coumadin). DOACs include apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

Diastolic blood pressure: Worth a second look?

A diastolic blood pressure reading lower than 60 mm Hg may be linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people at high cardiovascular risk. Diastolic pressure tends to fall with age. Some people with a low reading have a leaky aortic valve, which interferes with normal blood circulation throughout the heart and causes diastolic pressure to fall. But in people with healthy aortic valves who can be physically active without any symptoms (such as chest pressure, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness), a low diastolic blood pressure should not pose a problem.

Is a "normal" blood pressure reading too high for women?

A study published Feb. 16, 2021, in Circulation found that women with blood pressure readings in a normal range may still be at higher risk for cardiovascular events. For example, heart attack risk in women rose at a systolic (the upper number) reading of 110 to 119 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and was the same at this level as men with a systolic pressure of 160 mm Hg. But experts say it’s too soon to change blood pressure recommendations for women until more research confirms the results.

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