Diuretics are usually a first-line treatment for high blood pressure. The three main types are loop diuretics, thiazide diuretics, and potassium-sparing diuretics. Sometimes a combination of the drugs is prescribed.
Vitamins and minerals in food may help prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. These include vitamins A, C, and E; the mineral zinc; the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin; and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
Antidepressants aren’t the only solution for depression. Research shows that exercise works as well as antidepressants for some people, although exercise alone isn’t enough for someone with severe depression.
Foot and ankle health are key to maintaining mobility. Steps to prevent problems include weight-bearing exercise, stretching the muscles and tendons, quitting smoking, losing weight, and wearing comfortable shoes.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) offer more relief than glucosamine and chondroitin for people suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. However, NSAIDs also have adverse effects that glucosamine and chondroitin do not have.
Meditation can be a useful part of cardiovascular risk reduction. It can lower heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels, and levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress.
Women randomly assigned to take aspirin have a lower long-term risk of colorectal cancer, a large follow-up study finds. The women were cancer free (except non-melanoma skin cancers) when the study began. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group took low-dose aspirin every other day. The other group took placebo (fake) pills. The study lasted 10 years. By the end, the difference in colorectal cancer rates between the groups was small enough that it could have been caused by chance. But women were urged to continue their treatments. About 33,000 agreed to let researchers keep track of them long-term. That’s when researchers started seeing a difference. For the whole 18-year period, colorectal cancer rates were 20% lower in the aspirin group. But the difference for years 10 through 18 was 42%. Women who took aspirin did have more side effects.