Staying Healthy Archive

A randomized controlled trial published in 2025 found that people who followed a 4:3 intermittent fasting plan for one year, eating only 20% of their usual calories on three fasting days per week, lost more weight than people who were on a calorie-restricted diet.

In a 2025 study, researchers estimated that fewer than four emergency department visits attributed to semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) occurred for every 1,000 patients taking the drug in 2022 and 2023. Most of the visits were related to gastrointestinal problems.

High blood pressure means that blood pushes against artery walls more forcefully than normal. Women’s blood pressure is typically lower than men’s until around age 60. An estimated 41% of women develop high blood pressure after menopause. High blood pressure increases people’s risks of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and other problems. Factors that increase women’s risk of high blood pressure at midlife include menopause, elevated sympathetic nerve activity, weight gain and redistribution, stress, and genetics.

Wildfire smoke contributes greatly to poor air quality, and as wildfires become more frequent due to climate change and drier conditions, more of us and more of our communities are at risk for health harms. Here are ways to cope.

Mosquito repellents that rely on certain natural substances may not be as effective when temperatures reach 90° or higher. For very hot weather, people may get better protection by using the synthetic repellent DEET.

Dancing is a popular leisure activity. Evidence suggests dance boasts all the same benefits as other forms of consistent aerobic exercise: lowering blood pressure, building muscle and bone, increasing aerobic capacity, reducing anxiety, and improving depression symptoms. Dance can also counter loneliness and isolation and be easier to stick with than exercise that’s more repetitive. People who want to try dance can frame it as a hobby instead of exercise, take a group class, and modify dance movements to accommodate pain or limited mobility.

Daily morning exposure to blue-enriched light can improve sleep quality and increase activity levels in older adults, according to a 2025 study. Researchers believe morning blue light "wakes up" the brain, which increases alertness and synchronizes the sleep-wake cycle.

Super-agers are people who reach their 80s, 90s, or beyond with the memory capacity of someone at least three decades younger. As people get older, certain brain regions shrink, slowing brain functions. But super-agers retain more brain volume in areas linked to memory and movement, and their brains shrink more slowly over time. Women are more likely to be super-agers because they live, on average, longer than men. Genetics also appear to play a significant role in achieving super-ager status.