Preventive care Archive

It's impossible to never worry about your health - but are you worrying about the right things? Popular fears and Google and TikTok searches suggest our top concerns may bypass common health issues. So what should concern us and what can we do about it?

Men's diets should include plenty of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, while avoiding high amounts of processed foods. However, men should be mindful about reading food labels when shopping to ensure they get more of the healthiest nutrients and much less of certain substances. In particular, men should focus on adding more fiber and decreasing their intake of sodium and added sugar.

Dental x-rays have long involved donning lead-lined shields. But new guidelines from the American Dental Association say that using the vest is no longer necessary. What has changed?

Recent changes in laws have made gambling widely accessible and popular. Uncontrolled gambling can have many kinds of consequences, some quite serious. A simple screening test for problem gambling and knowing the range of available resources can help people ward off the worst of these issues.

A 2023 study found that people who said they ate the most tomatoes (more than 110 grams per day, for three years) experienced a 36% reduction in hypertension, compared with people who said they ate the least tomatoes per day (less than 44 grams).

A 2023 study found that pet owners who lived alone had slower rates of cognitive decline compared with people who lived alone but had no pets. Living with a dog or cat may help ease loneliness - an important risk factor for cognitive decline.

It's dangerous to keep unneeded or expired medications around the house. But it's bad for the environment to simply flush or throw away the drugs. It's best to dispose of them by bringing them to a drug take-back site (such as a drugstore or law enforcement office) or a medical waste collection site (such as the local landfill). As a last resort, it's okay to toss medications into the trash with careful preparation. The FDA recommends mixing medicines with unappealing substances, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds; placing the mixture in a sealable plastic bag or container; and throwing the bag or container in the trash.