Month: November 2013

It appears that people in the United States are enjoying about two more years of good health than Americans of 20 years ago. Experts chalk it up at least partly to healthier lifestyles, medical advances, better treatments, and new drugs.

Medical alerting devices are effective tools for people who want to live independently and safely in their own homes. The wearable devices summon help immediately in a medical emergency, such as a bad fall, stroke, or heart attack.

It’s difficult to wean oneself off sleep medication. But gradual reduction of sleep medication, with a doctor’s supervision, can help. So can cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation techniques, and improving sleep hygiene.

High levels of trans fats in the diet raise blood levels of LDL cholesterol as much as saturated fat does. One swallow will not cause harm, but eating a lot of trans fats over time does endanger health.

Fruit juice is associated with increasing diabetes risk, possibly because the juicing processes lead to lower contents of beneficial phytochemicals and dietary fiber. Eating whole fruits is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes.

Medication errors at home cause many thousands of emergency room visits and hospitalizations every year. The most frequent errors are taking doses at the wrong time or missing doses.

People monitoring blood pressure at home should take two measurements per day: one in the morning and one in the evening, for a week. This will help a doctor determine if a patient has high blood pressure.