Harvard Health Content API

In three long-term studies, children of centenarians had lower rates of high blood pressure when compared with others whose parents had shorter life spans. They also tended to have less heart disease, develop health problems later, and live about three years longer.

An analysis of 87 studies found that eating more whole grains may provide modest improvements in cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, weight, blood pressure, and inflammation. Benefits rose as consumption increased to at least four to six servings of whole grains daily. The heart-health benefits of a whole-grain-rich diet may add up over time.

A 2026 study of adults with nonspecific low back pain found that adding a soft, adjustable lower-back support (lumbar belt) to usual care improved disability and pain after 12 weeks and ​was better than usual care alone. People wearing a lumbar belt also used less pain medication.

Sleeping in a dark room may do more than improve sleep; it may also benefit heart health. A 2026 study linked nighttime light exposure with harmful changes in heart structure and higher risks of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, heart attack, stroke, and death from heart disease.

A bladder diary is a fundamental tool doctors use to obtain objective information about a person’s urinary symptoms. It can help doctors evaluate problems such as nighttime or frequent urination, urgency, accidental leakage, and production of unusually large or small amounts of urine.

Walking pneumonia and bronchitis can cause similar symptoms, but walking pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria, and bronchitis typically arises from a virus. Symptoms alone can’t reliably tell the two conditions apart.

A family history of gynecologic cancer doesn’t necessarily mean a woman automatically needs genetic testing to determine her risk. However, women should discuss testing if close relatives have had gynecologic or breast cancers, or if several more-distant relatives have been affected.

People who feel hooked on digital devices often blame dopamine, a brain chemical linked with feelings of pleasure. But people’s brains need dopamine to function, so a “dopamine detox” is not possible. People should instead change habits and environments that draw them to their devices.

Less-recognized symptoms of “classic” pneumonia can include unusual exhaustion, shortness of breath out of proportion to what a person is doing, confusion or sudden mental changes, nausea or loss of appetite, mild fever or none at all, sweating, chills, rapid breathing, or fast heart rate.