Healthy aging and longevity Archive

A 2023 study suggests that toothbrushing twice daily can lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia in seriously ill hospitalized patients.

A 2024 study found that the risk of premature death was 24% lower among people who used hearing aids regularly, compared with people who never used hearing aids.

Medical gaslighting describes when health care professionals seem to invalidate or ignore a patient's concerns. It can have many causes, such as a health care provider who has poor communication skills, limited time to speak with a patient, a lack of medical knowledge, or unconscious bias. Someone who suspects gaslighting is occurring during an appointment might try to reframe or rephrase health concerns or questions, or ask a buddy to speak on his or her behalf. If there's no resolution, it might be a good idea to get a different clinician.

A 2023 study found that people with chronic conditions who took part in high-intensity interval training in the water-called aquatic HIIT or AHIIT-experienced a similar boost in endurance (their maximum sustained physical exertion) as people who took part in land-based HIIT. An AHIIT workout includes a warm-up, such as treading water, followed by intervals of rest and intense activity (such as swimming laps or doing four or five pool exercises in a row, as quickly as possible), for a total of 30 minutes.

A 2023 study found that between the 1930s and the mid-1980s, life expectancy in the United States was generally longer than in other wealthy nations. However, since the mid-1980s, the United States has been doing progressively and dramatically worse. Among many reasons for this change is the fact that the country doesn't make health care as widely available to all citizens as do other wealthy countries. For example, tens of millions of people in the United States do not have health insurance. Ultimately, it will be up to society to make health improvements nationwide.

Many strategies that reduce chronic pain are activities that support a healthy lifestyle. Examples include exercise, meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, stretching, sleeping seven to nine hours per night, staying socially connected, and managing stress. There are lots of free or low-cost ways to practice the activities or get better at them, such as apps, online videos, classes, and support groups. Strategies that require a little financial investment include physical therapy, dietitian services, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, in-person exercise classes, and talk therapy.

Resistance training (also called strength training or weight training) can improve heart-related risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, and body composition. It's especially beneficial for older adults and people with an elevated risk for heart problems. A 2024 scientific statement from the American Heart Association recommends focusing on eight to 10 different exercises that target all the body's major muscle groups. Examples include chest presses, biceps curls, squats, and abdominal crunches.

The ketogenic diet deprives the body of carbohydrates for fuel. Instead, the body uses ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat. Keto diet followers must eat fat at each meal. In a daily 2,000-calorie diet, that might look like 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein. Ditching carbs means limiting fruits and vegetables, which raises the risk for nutrient deficiencies. The keto diet also increases the risk for kidney, liver, mood, and thinking problems.

When a study asked doctors and artificial intelligence to respond to selected patient questions, a chatbot received higher ratings for empathy and quality. But a closer look at the research spotlights important limitations and findings.