Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have been linked to various side effects. But some widely held beliefs about how the drugs affect your memory, muscles, and other habits aren’t accurate.
To help lower inflammation in the body, dietitians recommend increasing dietary fiber, good fats, whole grains, and omega-3s.
Cutting back on salt is the first commandment for controlling high blood pressure. But getting plenty of other important minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium is also critical.
To get the most out of a doctor’s visit, it’s best to write down questions in advance, speak up about concerns during an appointment, and get a recap of information before leaving the doctor’s office.
The Mediterranean diet may help protect the length of telomeres, which sit at the end of chromosomes and protect the ends from fraying.
Neuropathy is a common problem in the nerves that causes burning and numbness, especially in the feet, calves, and thighs.
Stress takes a toll on physical and emotional health. Managing stress is a matter of avoiding stress triggers and practicing techniques to reduce stress, such as meditation and goal setting.
People with type 1 diabetes lose an average of 12 years of life because of their disease. But tight control of blood-sugar levels may reduce that loss. Those are the conclusions of 2 new studies. People with type 1 diabetes have to inject insulin because their bodies don’t make it. The first study looked at nearly 25,000 adults with type 1 diabetes. Men died 11 years earlier and women 13 years earlier than people in a comparison group without the disease. Heart disease accounted for the lost years in 36% of men and 31% of women. About 29% of men and 22% of women under age 50 died of problems directly related to extremely high or low blood sugar. The second study randomly divided 1,400 type 1 diabetics into 2 groups. One group checked blood sugar very often. They adjusted medicines quickly to keep sugar levels close to normal. The other group managed blood sugar less intensely.
People who eat more whole grains may live longer, a large new study finds. The study was based on information about diet from 2 long-running studies of health professionals. It included more than 118,000 adults. At the start of the study, no one had heart disease or cancer. People answered questions about diet every 2 to 4 years. Researchers kept track of people for an average of 26 years. In that time, nearly 27,000 people died. For every daily serving of whole grains, people who ate the largest amount of whole grains daily were about 5% less likely to die of any cause than those who ate the smallest amount. For each daily serving, people were about 9% less likely to die of heart disease. Eating whole grains did not affect the risk of cancer death. A serving was equal to 1 ounce (28 grams) of whole grains.