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Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk

People who ate healthy plant-based foods had a 10% reduction in stroke risk, compared with people who ate unhealthy plant-based foods, according to a Harvard study published online March 10, 2021, by the journal Neurology.

Treating sleep apnea: Good for your heart and mind?

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when soft tissue at the back of the throat temporarily blocks the airway during sleep. People with sleep apnea face a heightened risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. The condition can also affect mood, and some people diagnosed with depression may actually have sleep apnea. Treating apnea with positive airway pressure improves both high blood pressure and depression.

Common questions about medical cannabis

While cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, more than two-thirds of US states have made it partly or fully legal for medical purposes. People who decide to use marijuana for a medical condition often have questions about its safety and proper use — the same considerations doctors weigh when determining whether it should be prescribed for a particular patient.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children — what parents need to know

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, is a rare syndrome in some children that affects the heart and other organs. It may be a reaction to a current or past COVID-19 infection, but test results for the coronavirus are sometimes negative.

Agoraphobia: Has COVID fueled this anxiety disorder?

People with agoraphobia become anxious in places where they feel helpless or out of control, so they try to avoid such situations. But with the threat of COVID-19 still very real, fearing public spaces is a normal, or even prudent, instinct. So, when are anxious feelings normal, and when do they become a cause for concern?

Could COVID-19 infection be responsible for your depressed mood or anxiety?

We are still learning about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain, but we know that the pandemic has resulted in worsening mental health for many people. A new study confirmed that COVID-19 infection increased the risk of developing psychiatric disorders.

Sleep to solve a problem

Are you the sort of person who gets into bed and fixates on a problem or an interaction you may have had that day? It's better to let your thoughts go and try to fall asleep — even though that might not be easy — because our brains are made to process and synthesize information while we are sleeping.

Sickle cell disease: Ways to help teens and parents

Children with sickle cell disease are at higher risk for many health problems and possible complications get more serious as children grow into adults. Here are ways for parents to support teens with SCD in learning to take care of themselves.

American Heart Association issues statement on cardiovascular side effects from hormonal therapy for prostate cancer

The American Heart Association issued a statement addressing cardiovascular risks from hormonal therapy for prostate cancer, emphasizing the need to identify men with pre-existing cardiac risk factors or a family history of cardiovascular diseases who should be monitored closely during treatment.

More movement, better memory

Regular exercise is known to boost cognitive function and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. This protection occurs because the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory) is especially sensitive to the effects of exercise. A study investigated whether older adults who participated in an exercise program could improve nerve connections in their brains.

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