Harvard Health Content API

Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests offer the potential to detect up to 50 types of cancer from a single blood draw. Most cancer deaths stem from cancers for which there is no screening test. MCED tests may find evidence of less common but more lethal types like ovarian and pancreatic cancer. But before considering one of these tests (which can be requested online), people should understand the limitations, including the high cost and possibility of false positive results.

Many people with atrial fibrillation (afib) — a rapid, irregular heart rhythm — need to control symptoms, such as the feeling that the heart is racing or fluttering. Medication options include drugs that slow down the heart or help restore its rhythm. Because afib can also increase the risk of blood clots that can lead to a stroke, many of these people also need to take clot-preventing medications.

Doctors have long prescribed drugs called beta blockers to all heart attack survivors. These drugs, which slow down the heart and lower blood pressure, include atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol). Growing evidence suggests that these drugs offer no meaningful benefit for people whose hearts still pump normally after a heart attack. Sometimes, however, a heart attack leaves the left ventricle (the heart’s main pumping chamber) unable to contract effectively. When that’s the case, beta blockers are still recommended.

An apolipoprotein B (apoB) test counts the number of LDL particles in the bloodstream as well as other particles that can contribute to clogged arteries and heart attacks. All of these so-called atherogenic particles carry a single apoB molecule but varying amounts of cholesterol. ApoB values are more closely linked to heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol. People with signs of an unhealthy metabolism—such as prediabetes, a big belly, or elevated triglycerides—are far more likely to have a high apoB.

Four classes of drugs commonly prescribed to older adults—opioids, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, and antidepressants—may be driving the dramatic rise in deadly falls over the past three decades. Known as fall risk–increasing drugs (FRIDs), these drug classes affect brain function and can make people feel sleepy, dizzy, or confused—all of which can leave them vulnerable to falling. People currently taking these drugs shouldn’t stop taking them abruptly, as doing so may cause withdrawal symptoms. People should ask their primary care clinician to review all their medications at least once a year.

Elderberry syrup or tea may help reduce the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms. But the evidence for these benefits is uncertain, since the studies are small and most did not compare elderberry to standard treatments. Claims that elderberry products can prevent viral infections or boost immunity are unproven. Elderberry supplements appear to be relatively safe; in clinical trials, effects such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea were mild and rare.