Healthy aging and longevity Archive

It's more accessible than ever before, but is it the right medicine for you?

Medical marijuana — also referred to as medical cannabis — has enjoyed a boom in recent years. More states have legalized it, more products are available, and more people have turned to it for help, especially older adults.

A study in the April 2020 JAMA Internal Medicine found that the number of adults ages 65 and older using medical cannabis increased from 2.4% to 4.2% between 2015 and 2018.

Ask the doctors

Q. I'm in my early 50s and am considering a knee replacement for severe arthritis. I've heard that doctors typically encourage people to wait until after age 60 to perform this procedure. Should I wait to have the surgery?

A. Doctors do sometimes recommend that people under age 60 wait to undergo a knee replacement procedure, because these artificial joints typically last only about 15 to 20 years. If someone younger gets the procedure, it's likely that the joint will need to be replaced again down the line. That said, the decision to have a joint replacement really depends more on your individual circumstances, such as how much pain you have, whether the problem is causing you significant disability, and your overall health, not just how old you are. Some people can safely wait until they are 60 to undergo the procedure without a problem. For others, waiting too long to have the knee replaced might not be advised. For example, if the knee joint deteriorates too much, that may make the surgery to replace it more challenging. Over all, most people (80% to 90%) who do opt for a knee replacement are happy with the results of the procedure, but it's best to discuss the pros and cons with your doctor.

Inaccurate health information is pervasive. Here's how to find out if what you're reading is true.

From conspiracy theories about COVID-19 to unsubstantiated or even dangerous product claims, false health information is everywhere these days. This includes both misinformation (incorrect statements spread by someone who essentially doesn't know better) and disinformation (false information being spread deliberately by a bad actor to promote an agenda).

"Health misinformation and disinformation have always been with us. It's nothing new," says Kasisomayajula Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee professor of health communication at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "We had snake-oil salesmen when advertising began. But what's different this time around is the scale." Both mass media and social media are allowing bad information to reach large swaths of people quickly, making it difficult for many people to differentiate the good from the bad.

Body mass index is commonly used to assess a person’s weight status and health risk, but it does not indicate how much fat a person has or how it is distributed throughout the body — indicators of metabolic health. A recent study analyzed different measures of body shape to determine which are most predictive of premature death.

Reduce indoor allergens that can trigger respiratory problems and other issues.

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It may feel cozy being sealed in tight against the cold in your home during the chillier months of the year, but for people who are sensitive to indoor allergens or have respiratory problems, winter can exacerbate problems. Stale indoor air and heating systems can increase the amount of allergy-inducing dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores circulating through your house. In late winter and early spring, it may still be too chilly to throw open the windows to pull out the musty air, so while you await the warmer weather it's important to be aware of some of the allergy and respiratory triggers that may be lurking in your surroundings.

"Most of the things that cause problems are odorless," says Dr. Nicholas BuSaba, associate professor of otolaryng­ology at Harvard ­Medical School. "So, in many cases there's nothing to alert you to the problem." That is, there's nothing other than the symptoms these allergens can trigger — such as respiratory problems (including asthma flare-ups), fatigue and sleepiness, or even digestive issues.

They're great as a substitute for a dumbbell, but a risky choice for some exercises.

When you want to add strength training to your routine, wearable weights seem like a handy shortcut. Just slip them on and do your regular workout. But it's not that simple. "They're great for specific exercises, but they have some risks," says Terry Downey, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Network.

Ankle weights

You may see people walking around with weights around their ankles. The weights are typically built into a wide neoprene strap that wraps around the ankle and attaches with Velcro.

Ask the doctors

Q. I'm very allergic to poison ivy. My spouse currently has a bad poison ivy rash that he got while trimming some bushes in our yard. I'm afraid I'm going to get a rash from him. Is it contagious?

A. Good news: poison ivy rashes are not contagious. You will get a rash from poison ivy only if you come into contact with urushiol oil, which is the plant oil in poison ivy that triggers the rash. In addition, a poison ivy rash, even one with open blisters, won't spread to other areas of the body. The rash only occurs on parts of the body that were actually exposed to the plant oil. Poison ivy rashes can appear to spread if urushiol oil is trapped under your fingernails and you scratch an itch. While you can't get a rash from coming from your spouse, you can get it from clothing or other items that have the plant oil on them. For example, the clothes your spouse was wearing that came into contact with the poison ivy plant. Poison ivy oil can cling to garden tools or even pet fur. The oil from poison ivy is known to linger. According to the FDA, it can stick around on surfaces, sometimes for years, until it is washed away using water or rubbing alcohol. So be certain that all surfaces that are potentially contaminated are cleaned thoroughly to reduce your risk.

Make sure your diet meets the recommended mineral targets.

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Gold, silver, and platinum get all the attention as the world's most precious metals. But they're more precious for the global economy than for human health. Instead, other metals and minerals (metals are one type of mineral) are more important for our health (see "What essential metals do for us"). Indeed, some of them are so important that we can't live without them. "Each one plays a role in hundreds of body functions. It may take just a very small quantity of a particular mineral, but having too much or too little can upset a delicate balance in the body," says Dr. Bruce Bistrian, chief of clinical nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.