When to worry about your memory

Most older adults experience occasional “senior moments” when they forget names, misplace objects, or have difficulty following conversations. While these types of memory issues may come and go, it’s when they become more frequent or severe or if new problems emerge that signals a potential issue. A doctor can help determine if underlying issues may be causing memory problems and whether further neuropsychological evaluation is needed.

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Diet and prostate cancer

Eating a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean, MIND, or DASH diet has been shown to help people lose weight and lower their risk for heart disease and diabetes. But such a diet may also help men lower their risk for prostate cancer or help slow the spread of existing prostate cancer. The connection may be due to high consumption of inflammation-fighting fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish, and the fact that people who follow a plant-based diet eat less red meat and processed foods, high intakes of which are associated with cancer risk.

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COVID-19’s cardiac legacy: An update

COVID-19 may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, up to a year after the infection. But vaccination appears to lower these risks. Getting just one dose of a COVID vaccine may halve the risk of myocarditis, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the heart muscle that can arise after viral infections.

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Move of the month: Stationary lunge

Lunges, which strengthen the entire lower body, are a good example of a functional exercise. These exercises mimic everyday actions (such as picking something up off the floor), thereby improving physical functioning throughout the day.

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