Preventive care Archive

When do you need to get screened, and how often?

One of the deadliest cancers can be prevented or detected at a curable stage if you follow recommended screening guidelines.

Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The good news is that the death rate has steadily dropped over the past several decades among older adults. (However, among people under 55, death rates from colon cancer have grown slowly, but steadily, since 2008.)

Drinking no more than four or five 8-ounce cups of coffee per day—equal to about 400 milligrams of caffeine—helps people get the drink's health benefits with a lower risk of caffeine side effects like anxiety and nervousness.

Ask the doctors

Q. I'm debating whether I need to get a flu shot this year. Do you think it's worthwhile?

A. The answer to this question is an emphatic yes. It's more important than ever to get a flu shot this year for a number of reasons. First, it will reduce your likelihood of contracting, being hospitalized for, or dying from influenza, which should be reason enough to roll up your sleeve. In addition, if you do get sick with the flu after being vaccinated, the vaccine can reduce the severity of your illness.

You can get a good workout anyway.

The winter months present numerous challenges to maintaining your fitness in a typical year. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be harder than ever to get to the gym or your usual exercise class.

What can you do to keep your body in motion and not lose ground as the weather turns colder? The answer, luckily, is plenty, says Dr. Beth Frates, an assistant professor physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. There are many effective workouts that don't require a large space, a gym, expensive equipment, or even a live instructor.

Research we're watching

Serious heart complications are common in people hospitalized with influenza, according to a study published online Aug. 25, 2020, by Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the CDC looked at the rates of cardiovascular problems in more than 80,000 adults hospitalized with a confirmed case of influenza (commonly called the flu) from 2010 to 2018. Almost 12% had a serious cardiovascular problem, most commonly heart failure or a lack of adequate blood flow to the heart, known as acute coronary syndrome. The body's immune response against the infection can trigger inflammation and other changes that harm the cardiovascular system.

These three remedies may reduce symptom duration and severity.

While there's no cure for the common cold, everyone seems to have a surefire remedy they embrace.

Some of the popular ones are sucking on zinc lozenges, boosting your vitamin C intake, and even slurping up steaming bowls of old-fashioned chicken soup.

Broccoli, brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables are associated with fewer calcified fatty plaques in the aorta.

Research we're watching

A new type of bug spray may hit the market in the next few years. The Environmental Protection Agency recently approved a new ingredient for use in these products. Called nootkatone, this ingredient, which smells like grapefruit, is hoped to safely kill and drive away mosquitos and ticks. Studies show that it's about as effective as other ingredients used in insect sprays, and it can provide protection against bugs for several hours at a time.

Nootkatone is found naturally in Alaska yellow cedar trees as well as in grapefruit skin and has long been used in perfumes. Now that the ingredient is registered with the EPA, companies can use it to develop commercial insecticides, something that could happen as soon as 2022, according to the CDC. This will expand the options for insect control and may be particularly useful in areas where insects have become resistant to existing products, says the CDC.

This daily routine can help your aging skin stay healthy.

Your skin goes through many changes as you age. All you need to do is look in the mirror.

Aging skin loses fat and becomes thinner and drier. Red and pimply spots can appear on the face (a condition known as rosacea).