Staying Healthy Archive

Over-the-counter medications may be neither safe nor effective if they aren't used properly.

 Image: Jupiterimages/Thinkstock

More than one-third of Americans regularly use nonprescription drugs to treat a number of ailments—pain, fever, cold and allergy symptoms, heartburn, and insomnia, to name a few. The manufacturers of the medications sold on drugstore shelves have demonstrated to the FDA that their products are safe and effective. And using them can spare you the money and time spent making a health care visit and filling a prescription.

But these medications are being used by groups of people who weren't likely to have been included in the clinical trials that furnished evidence of their safety and efficacy, says Dr. Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "FDA approval for prescription drugs is based on clinical trials of people who have specific conditions. When the same drugs are released over the counter [OTC], anyone can take them. It's also harder to trace the side effects because people aren't being monitored, and it's more difficult for the FDA to recall a drug once it's OTC."

Research we’re watching

The American Diabetes Association counsels women with diabetes to follow the recommendations for alcohol consumption that apply to most adult women: a drink a day is fine, especially because it may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. A new analysis by a team of Chinese researchers indicates that the same drink could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.

The researchers poured over 26 studies on alcohol and diabetes that involved 706,716 people, over half of whom were women. They determined that compared with teetotalers, light drinkers (those who averaged up to one drink a day) had a 17% lower risk of developing diabetes, and that those who averaged one to two drinks daily had a 26% lower risk. However, alcohol consumption heavier than that had little or no effect on diabetes risk. When they broke down the data further, they found that the benefits of light to moderate drinking were greater for women than men.

 Image: Monkey Business Images/Thinkstock

Q. Is the standard recommendation for eight hours of sleep a night still relevant? How much do I need?

A. Eight hours of sleep is often described as a "full night's sleep," but the actual amount needed varies from person to person. The amount of time most people sleep ranges from seven to nine hours. However, as you get older, the average amount of sleep decreases to seven to eight hours, with some people getting by with even less.

Do not let these common injuries stop your active lifestyle. Follow these steps to treat and prevent them.

 Image: Bigstock

An active life is a healthy one. Yet you might overdo it and injure a muscle, tendon, or ligament. "Strains, sprains, and cramps are common among older men and can limit their participation in their favorite sport or exercise," says Dr. Adam Tenforde, assistant professor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.

Fortunately, these injuries often respond well to treatment, so you can get back in action. Of course, if any injury is too painful or does not heal over an appropriate period, you should seek medical advice. But many times, you can manage these issues on your own.

Fitness is essential for good health, but for optimal benefits you need to focus on the right exercise duration and intensity.

Any aerobic activity that gets the heart pumping helps you reach the proper intensity.
Image: ConnieTBallash/Thinkstock

The standard guideline for fitness, from both government agencies and health organizations, is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. "It does not matter how you reach those 150 minutes," says Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, a sports medicine physician with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "It could be 50 minutes three times a week, or 30 minutes five times a week, or some other combination. Even a short burst of 10 minutes at one time is beneficial."

In the Journals

Knee buckling in older adults may increase the risk of falling, according to a study published online Feb. 8, 2016, by Arthritis Care & Research. Buckling, often described as the knee "giving way," is a symptom of knee instability. It often affects older individuals, in particular those with knee pain and knee osteoarthritis. It also may be caused by leg muscle weakness or balance difficulties. When your knee buckles, you can lose your balance and fall, which raises your risk of injury and even fractures. Repeated incidents also can limit your ability to climb stairs.

Researchers studied 1,842 participants, 40% of whom were men, who were at high risk for knee osteoarthritis. After five years, 16.8% reported regular knee buckling, and over the next two years, those people were 1.6 to 2.5 times more likely to experience recurring falls, fear of falling, and poor confidence in their ability to balance.

With the right props and advice, you can turn your living space into an efficient workout area.

Exercising at home may be more convenient and affordable than a gym membership, but you still need to muster up the movtivation to work out. 
Image: littlebloke/iStock

Every year, thousands of people buy fitness club memberships, hoping that the bright lights, glitzy machines, and peppy instructors will propel them out of their exercise ennui. But sizable portions of new patrons fail to show up at the gym after a month or so, having slimmed their pocketbooks but not their waistlines.

Generic statins lower cholesterol just as effectively as brand-name versions of the drug. The inactive filler ingredients in a generic drug may change the side effects a person experiences, but that’s unlikely. 

Using an automated external defibrillator or AED on a person in cardiac arrest delivers a shock to restore a normal heart rhythm. These devices provide step-by-step instructions and include safety features that prevent the delivery of unneeded shocks. 

Ditch the low-fat chips and pretzels in favor of snacks that contain a combination of whole or minimally processed foods.

 Image: iStock

If late afternoon hunger pangs leave you longing for a snack, there's no reason to deny yourself. Just be sure to choose foods that fit into a heart-healthy eating pattern.

"Snacks help bridge the gap between meals," says Liz Moore, a dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A small snack in the afternoon curbs your appetite so you're not completely starving when you sit down to dinner, she explains. That can help you control your portion sizes and avoid overeating—a common cause of weight gain. "If you eat lunch at noon and are planning to meet a friend for dinner at 7 or 8 p.m., have a snack between 4 and 5 p.m.," she suggests.