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Is our healthcare system broken?

The US healthcare system is expensive, complicated, dysfunctional — and broken. The system needs a major overhaul, and the arguments for this fall into a few broad categories: high costs, uneven access, and undue emphasis on areas of spending that do not directly benefit patients

What's the relationship between diabetes and dementia?

It has been known for many years that type 2 diabetes increases a person’s risk for stroke and heart disease, and more recent studies have shown that diabetes also increases risk of dementia. But new research examined the association between when a person first is diagnosed with diabetes and their risk of developing dementia later.

Harvard study: Internet searches sometimes lead to the right diagnosis

A Harvard study published online March 29, 2021, by JAMA Network Open found that people who looked up health symptoms online were able to correctly diagnosis a condition about half the time.

Are toxins flushed out of the brain during sleep?

The glymphatic system is the brain's "waste management" system. It carries fresh fluid into the brain, mixes the fresh fluid with waste-filled fluid surrounding brain cells, and flushes the mix out of the brain and into the blood.

Does exercise really boost energy levels?

Exercise can create physical changes that help increase energy levels inside the body. In addition, it can induce better sleep at night, which helps people feel more energetic in the morning.

Do I need to take my blood pressure in both arms?

Taking blood pressure readings in both arms can help reveal potential heart risks.

Grill your way to better health

Grilled meat—in particular red meat—has garnered some negative attention from nutritionists in recent years, because in addition to its less-than-stellar nutritional profile, it’s been shown to generate potentially cancer-causing compounds when cooked over high heat. On the grill, the fat and protein in the meat produces harmful, potentially carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Better options are lean chicken and fish, and grilled vegetables.

High-glycemic diets could lead to big health problems

A diet consisting primarily of foods high on the glycemic index—those with high amounts of quickly digestible carbohydrates—can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and early death, suggests a study that looked at almost 138,000 people around the world.

Sleeping five hours or less may raise dementia risk

Adults ages 65 and older who sleep less than five hours per night have almost double the risk of being diagnosed with dementia compared with those who sleep the recommended seven to nine hours.

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