Walking at least 6,000 steps a day can help reduce a woman’s risk for heart disease and diabetes, even if she’s already gone through menopause.
Strokes that produce only mild symptoms still damage brain cells. The accumulated damage from several mild strokes may be harmful and irreversible. Anyone who experiences the symptoms of stroke, no matter how mild, should call 911.
Probiotics may help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. But they shouldn’t be used by individuals with compromised immune systems.
Obtaining the generally recommended amount of daily physical activity-150 minutes a day-extends lifespan by up to five years. Men who were moderately active at age 20 could expect to gain 2.4 years over a lifetime.
People with the chronic irritated, flaky skin condition called psoriasis may also be at risk for type 2 diabetes. The same cells that trigger the inflammation of psoriasis are also associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that inflammation, marked by elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein, is linked to risk for depression. This raises the question of whether adding anti-inflammatory drugs to antidepressants will improve depression treatment.
People who have a positive attitude about the aging process have an easier time recovering from disability than those with a negative attitude.
New anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation-dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto)-are at least as effective as warfarin in preventing stroke and have a reduced risk of bleeding into the brain.
Older adults who feel lonely face more than double the risk of developing dementia, according to a study of more than 2,000 people in Amsterdam.
Two tests are available to determine if you are at increased risk for getting Alzheimer’s disease: a test for a gene known as APOE4 and a brain imaging test called a PET scan. Research shows that the brain scan is a better predictor.