Healthy aging and longevity Archive

If you've ever tried to lose weight, you've probably heard the advice to drink water before a meal because it makes you feel fuller and you'll stop eating sooner. It seems like a reasonable idea - but does it work? And if it doesn't, why do people think it does?

Until recently, many people with asthma used a medicine called Flovent. It has been discontinued by its manufacturer, leaving users with questions about what to substitute and which medicines their insurance will cover.

February 14th is more than Valentine's Day -- it's also National Donor Day, when health organizations sponsor sign-ups for organ and tissue donation. For those in need, such a donation can be life-changing - or lifesaving. If you wonder what can be donated or how, read on.

Vision loss has many risk factors. Some risk factors are well known, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and older age. Other risk factors for vision loss are not as well known, such as inactivity, psoriasis, shingles, and smoking. People who have these risk factors might need eye exams more often than the standard recommendations for healthy adults (a comprehensive eye exam every two years from ages 40 to 65, and every year or two after age 65).

For people older than 75 who have heart disease already, or who are at increased risk of developing heart disease, there now is solid evidence that statins remain effective at lowering cholesterol and, more important, in reducing the risk of new or recurrent heart disease. For people older than 75 who have not been diagnosed with heart disease and are not at increased risk for developing it, the value of statins still is uncertain.