Recent Blog Articles
What? Another medical form to fill out?
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?
Your amazing parathyroid glands
When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?
Co-regulation: Helping children and teens navigate big emotions
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
Healthy Aging Archive
Articles
Activity-related sudden cardiac arrest rare in older adults
The risk of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest while exercising or participating in sports is quite low among active older adults, according to a 2023 study.
Stretching it out
Proper flexibility means you can bend, reach, twist, stretch, and sit and stand with a greater range of motion and less effort. While flexibility usually declines with age, adopting a regular stretching routine can help improve flexibility no matter your age. Besides improving flexibility, stretching also helps to reduce exercise soreness and injury risk and improve performance in sports and activities.
Emergency care visits after cannabis use rising among older adults
A 2023 study found that cannabis-related visits to hospital emergency departments skyrocketed among adults ages 65 and older from 2005 through 2019.
Some blood pressure drugs may lower dementia risk
Taking antihypertension drugs to lower blood pressure that also stimulate type 2 and 4 angiotensin II receptors in the brain may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Vitamin D deficiency linked to loss of muscle strength
A 2022 study found that vitamin D deficiency significantly increases the likelihood of age-related loss of muscle strength, known as dynapenia, a major risk factor for falls.
National task force updates recommendations on hormone therapy after menopause
Updated national guidelines on hormone therapy after menopause recommend that women use it only for relief of menopause-related symptoms, not to prevent chronic conditions that become likelier with age.
Hearing aids: Can they help thinking skills, too?
A 2022 review of dozens of randomized controlled trials and observational studies found that people who used hearing aids or cochlear implants had a 19% lower risk of cognitive decline, compared with people who didn't use the devices.
Strength training might lengthen life
A 2022 study tracking 115,000 people 65 and older found that adding strength training to aerobic exercise lowered the risk of dying, regardless of cause, over nearly eight years of follow-up.
Managing the unthinkable
One in 10 Americans ages 65 and older has dementia. The condition is likely to progress slowly, offering couples the opportunity to adopt coping strategies that can smooth their path. Early on, you can consider treatment that may temporarily improve memory and thinking problems. People whose partners have been diagnosed should get informed about dementia, attend doctor's visits, take over certain tasks, keep routines, update legal documents, and join a support group.
It may not be too late to protect against dementia
Older adults can still lower their risk for dementia by taking medication to decrease their high blood pressure, according to a recent study.
Recent Blog Articles
What? Another medical form to fill out?
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?
Your amazing parathyroid glands
When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?
Co-regulation: Helping children and teens navigate big emotions
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
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