Eating too much processed and cured red meat is unhealthy. When eating deli meats, choose less processed versions with lower sodium content per slice. Also limit the number of slices of meat or cheese. Try types of sandwiches without deli meats.
In a study from England, the proportion of people who developed dementia fell over the past 20 years.
Heat or cold can both relieve discomfort from lower back pain. Most experts recommend cold to relieve swelling and heat for spasm or stiffness.
Research is finding that omega-3 fatty acids have real heart benefits. They help lower heart rate and blood pressure, and improve blood vessel health. Experts recommend that people get their omega-3s by eating two servings of fatty fish a week.
Before having any medical imaging test, such as a CT scan or x-ray, a woman should ask her doctor how the test will be used to guide her treatment and whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
A heart attack, heart disease, or high blood pressure increase the risk of heart failure. Healthy lifestyle and medication can prevent heart failure or slow its progression. Exercise, diet, not smoking, and moderating alcohol are all key steps.
Women are less likely than men to receive clot-dissolving medicine for an ischemic stroke (caused by a blockage in an artery to the brain), likely because they are delayed in getting to the hospital for treatment.
Diverticulosis, the development of pouchlike structures in the colon wall, is usually harmless. Trouble comes when the pouches get inflamed, infected, or bleed (diverticulitis). Getting adequate dietary fiber helps prevent flare-ups of diverticulitis.
Thick, discolored nails may be signs of a fungal nail infection. These infections are often treated with oral antifungal drugs.
Software training programs may help maintain cognitive fitness with aging, but only if they are engaging and continually challenging-and not intimidating. The programs raise scores on standard tests, but it is unclear how this helps in daily life.