No one likes to be nagged, but that's often what health advice seems to do. There are all those don'ts (as in smoke, eat too much, gain weight). And the do's (exercise, eat fruit and vegetables) are predictable, even for people who don't mind them.

Lately, however, health researchers are reporting results that suggest maybe we can have our health and enjoy ourselves, too. Never has high living looked quite so healthful, although it's high living on a leash. The permission to indulge almost always comes with a reminder about doing everything in moderation.

Does it make sense to get a mammogram if you're 80? A colonoscopy if you're 85? Experts are still sorting it out.

Experts have battled over whether women should start getting screening mammograms for breast cancer at age 40 or 50. Hit the half-century mark these days, and chances are that your doctor has a present waiting for you: a referral for a colonoscopy. It's a given that women will start getting Pap smears, the screening test for cervical cancer, when they turn 21 or even sooner, depending on when they become sexually active.

The majority of older people remain independent well into later life. Most seniors want to remain in their own homes, a goal that's easier to accomplish if they adapt their lives and homes to accommodate their aging bodies. Some tips for independent living include:

Redecorate. The average home is riddled with obstacles that older eyes and feet might not be able to maneuver around. Removing slippery throw rugs, using night lights, putting nonskid mats in the bathroom and kitchen, not using high-gloss floor polishes, and installing handrails that extend beyond the bottom stair can all help. You can often fit your bathrooms with items like walk-in showers, grab bars, and higher toilet seats. Ramps, elevators, and other devices can help you handle stairs. Keep often-needed items in the handiest cabinets and use a grasping tool to get things that are out of reach instead of climbing on a chair or ladder.

Face​

Botox injections

With the recent nod of approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the popularity of Botox injections has surged. Spas, shopping malls, walk-in clinics and even parties advertise the availability of this age-defying treatment. Even before FDA approval, the use of Botox was on the rise, increasing 61% between 2000 and 2001, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Botox, the trade name for botulinum toxin type A, is used to lessen the telltale signs of aging by softening frown lines on the forehead and brow, crow's feet at the corners of the eye, and other wrinkles. But what is this toxin, how does it work, and who should be administering the procedure?

The frail health often associated with aging is in large part due to physical inactivity, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It also advises that it's never too late to benefit from becoming physically active.

The report cites that even moderate levels of activity — such as washing a car or raking leaves — can produce considerable benefits that can be even more noticeable in older adults. Regular exercise improves cholesterol levels, reduces blood pressure, cuts body fat, and lowers blood sugar. Physical activity also improves bone and muscle strength. All in all, people who exercise live longer — and they also live better.

The health benefits of drinking tea have been well publicized lately, and recent studies point to two newly discovered advantages to consuming this beverage. One shows that drinking tea can help prevent death after a heart attack. The other reports that tea may increase bone mineral density, which helps prevent fractures and osteoporosis.

In the first study, published in Circulation, researchers questioned 1,900 patients hospitalized for heart attacks about the amount of caffeinated tea they drank in the past year. After adjusting for age, gender, and other variables, researchers found that those who drank 14 or more cups of tea per week were 39% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease in the 3.8 years following their heart attack than non-tea drinkers. Patients who consumed 1–14 cups of tea per week were 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular causes during that period than non-tea drinkers.

When researchers further looked into subjects' caffeine intake, they found that caffeine from sources other than tea did not affect death rates.

Should you take aspirin to prevent a heart attack? According to a new study, aspirin helps lower cardiovascular risk, but whether or not you should take it depends on a bevy of factors.

The study, published in the May 9, 2002, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzes the major trials on the subject. Four out of five of the randomized trials show a reduction in cardiovascular events (especially heart attacks) with aspirin use. (In randomized trials, researchers randomly assign patients to one of the treatments being tested.) But the studies' statistics vary wildly. For example, risk reduction ranged from 4%–44%, depending on the study. All but one trial showed that aspirin use increased the risk of bleeding, most commonly in the stomach.

Two large observational studies also showed that aspirin use decreased coronary events in both people with and without heart disease. (In observational studies, researchers simply monitor subjects' behaviors and health, they do not test a specific treatment on them.) Subjects' ages had an impact in both studies, with aspirin's benefit on the heart kicking in when subjects hit 50 years old in one, 60 years old in the other. Other trials have found that aspirin has the greatest effect on patients with high risk for heart disease.

Magazine ads and television commercials tout dietary supplements that claim to be a veritable fountain of youth for seniors. Images of grandparents able to keep up with their grandkids convince older adults that shakes, energy bars, and special vitamins will help boost energy and decrease signs of aging.

Health experts, however, stress that a well-balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables is just as effective and probably safer. But many older adults skip meals and eat small amounts of fruits and vegetables, citing reasons ranging from rotten teeth to unhappiness with eating alone.

While doctors acknowledge that nutritional shakes and energy bars are helpful for seniors who need to gain weight or have trouble chewing or swallowing, those who eat a balanced diet or stay active do not need them.

Image: Thinkstock

Building strength, stretching, and improving posture will improve shoulder health and keep you in action.

Your shoulders are a crucial part of your mobility and independence. You need them to be healthy and pain-free so you can drive a car, lift groceries, do housework, or pick up a child. But as we age, the shoulders become vulnerable to health problems and pain that may curtail activity. “Fortunately, most older adults can reduce pain and improve shoulder strength without surgery,” says physical therapist Amy Devaney, of Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Image: -goldy-/Thinkstock

News Briefs

A popular smartphone app that estimates your blood pressure doesn't provide reliable readings. In fact, more than three-quarters of people with high blood pressure who use the Instant Blood Pressure app will be falsely reassured that their blood pressure is normal, according to a small study that compared the app results to readings taken with a traditional blood pressure cuff.

To use the app, you put the top edge of your phone on the left side of your chest while holding your right index finger over the smartphone's camera. The app—which was among the top 50 best-selling iPhone apps for about five months—is no longer for sale, for unclear reasons. But it's still installed on a vast number of iPhones, and similar apps are still available, according to a research letter published online March 2 by JAMA Internal Medicine. Bottom line: Don't use any app that uses the phone itself to measure your blood pressure.