Harvard Health Content API

When it comes to blood pressure readings, systolic pressure matters more than diastolic pressure, and older people clearly benefit from treatment.

Harvard researchers have developed a new way to detect signs of cancer early. They’ve invented a hand-held device that quickly determines the number of microvesicles-shed by tumors-in a drop of blood.

Depression and obesity are linked. Obesity affects parts of the brain that regulate mood. Low energy and low motivation from depression can translate into less activity and exercise. The result may be weight gain.

People who engage in leisure-time physical activity can extend their lives by as much as four years, compared with similar-weight people who do no such activity. Being active and also maintaining a healthy weight boosts longevity by more than seven years.

Ophthalmologists can now perform cataract surgery using lasers instead of scalpels to make incisions. Three-dimensional imaging provides the precise measurements needed for laser use.

New guidelines make hormone therapy acceptable for short-term use in healthy women up to age 59 or within 10 years of menopause with marked menopausal symptoms. It’s not acceptable for long-term use.