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Regular aspirin use is associated with a reduced risk for developing colorectal cancer in older age — but you won't get the benefit if you start the therapy too late in life, according to a Harvard study published online Jan. 21, 2021, by JAMA Oncology. Researchers combined the results of two large studies involving a total of more than 94,000 people who answered health questionnaires regularly and were followed for three decades. Compared with people who didn't take aspirin, people ages 70 or older who took either 325 milligrams (mg) or 81 mg of aspirin at least twice per week had a 20% lower risk for developing colorectal cancer — but only if they had started the therapy by age 65. Starting aspirin therapy at or after age 70 was not associated with significant protection against colorectal cancer. The study was observational and does not prove whether aspirin can or cannot ward off colorectal cancer. But other observational studies have also shown an association between aspirin use and lower colorectal cancer risk. Like any medicine, aspirin isn't risk-free: regular use increases the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding. If you happen to be taking aspirin regularly for other reasons, this might be an added benefit.

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You have the power to reduce certain risk factors for the disease.

We've come a long way in our understanding and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss for people ages 50 or older in the United States. We've learned that certain genes and lifestyle factors increase the risk for developing AMD, and discovered treatments that often slow the disease's progression.

Yet for all our advances, we still don't have a guaranteed way to prevent AMD. You are at greater risk if one of your parents had the condition. "One needs to be concerned, but it doesn't mean you're destined to get it. It's a complex disease, and it takes a combination of factors for it to develop," says Dr. Joan W. Miller, chief of ophthalmology at Harvard-affiliated ­Massachusetts Eye and Ear and ophthal­mology chair at Harvard Medical School.

It takes a one-two punch to lower these risks for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

High cholesterol has long been known as a bad actor in heart health. Too much LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood can lead to fatty deposits in your arteries and the formation of artery-narrowing plaque (atherosclerosis), heart attacks, and strokes.

But LDL doesn't act alone. Chronic inflammation — a persistent activation of the immune system — also fuels heart attack and stroke risks. That means you must address both high LDL levels and chronic inflammation to protect your health.

The key factor causing climate change is greenhouse gas emissions, and the health care industry plays a significant role, with drugs and chemicals being the biggest contributor. While the benefits of medications to the world can’t be overstated, here’s how to balance the need for them with concern for the environment.

Excluding the wrong foods and following eating plans that are too restrictive may do more harm than good.

If you've ever made a New Year's promise to eat more healthfully, then you know how easy it is to slip back into less healthy eating routines. "People go into these plans with the best of intentions, but sometimes they don't have the best information to support their changes," explains registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital (www.brighamandwomens.org).

Whether you've chosen an eating plan to lose weight or to address a health problem (for example, a low-salt diet to help lower your blood pressure), it's important to understand the little things that can throw you off track.

Tailor salad greens to your dietary needs and taste preferences.

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In the quest to follow daily dietary recommendations and eat the right amount of vegetables, salad is your friend. A large salad can check off your veggie requirements for the day in one fell swoop.

But not all salad greens are created equal. "They vary in regard to their nutrient content, nutrient density, flavor, and texture," says Elisabeth Moore, a registered dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. So it helps to know which salad greens will give you the most bang for the bite.

Health benefits come from the live microbes that thrive in foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut.

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Pickles and sauerkraut might not be the first examples that jump to mind when you think of health foods. But a growing body of research shows that a diet that includes a regular intake of fermented foods can bring benefits.

Fermented foods are preserved using an age-old process that not only boosts the food's shelf life and nutritional value but can give your body a dose of healthful probiotics — live micro­organisms crucial to good digestion.

You need adequate amounts of good dietary fat.

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Low fat? No fat? Try more fat. Dietary fats are essential for maintaining good overall health, especially as you age. "Your body needs a regular intake of fat," says Vasanti Malik, a research scientist with the Department of Nutrition at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Fat helps give your body energy, protects your organs, supports cell growth, keeps cholesterol and blood pressure under control, and helps your body absorb vital nutrients. When you focus too much on cutting out all fat, you can actually deprive your body of what it needs most."

Two types of fats

To understand the role fats play in a healthy diet, you have to look closer at the two types of dietary fats: saturated and unsaturated. (A third kind, trans fats, have been all but eliminated from U.S. foods.)

On call

Q. My breasts have begun to feel swollen and seem larger. What could cause this, and should I be worried about any potential health issues?

A. Swollen breasts in men are almost always caused by either one or both of two conditions: excess fat deposition in the breasts, or growth of actual glandular breast tissue (gynecomastia). Fatty deposition occurs in overweight men and is always present in both breasts. With gynecomastia, the breasts have a firm or rubbery consistency. While it usually affects both breasts, it can affect one breast much more than the other.

Research we're watching

Eating nuts even just a couple of times a week is linked to a lower risk of dying from heart disease, a new study suggests.

The study included 39,000 women who filled out dietary questionnaires at the start of the study and again about 10 years later. During the follow-up, which lasted an average of 19 years, nearly 1,000 of the women died of cardiovascular disease.