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A 2023 study of more than 577,000 people found that people who said they met the guidelines for weekly physical activity had a 48% lower risk of dying from flu or pneumonia over a nine-year period, compared with people who said they didn’t meet the guidelines.
Death risk from breast cancer that’s treated early appears to be falling, according to a large 2023 study. The risk of dying from the cancer within five years dropped from about 14% for women diagnosed in the 1990s to about 5% for women diagnosed between 2010 and 2015.
A 2023 review of 70 studies found that both unprocessed and processed red meat are linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, with no apparent difference in risk between men and women.
Hiking can promote cardiovascular health by building lower-body strength and boosting the heart rate, especially if the route involves elevation changes. Using poles can provide stability, especially during the downhill stretches. Using poles also helps strengthen the muscles of the upper body and may increase the number of calories burned during a hike.
For people with high blood pressure, practicing slow, deep breathing for 15 minutes a day can potentially lower blood pressure. Helpful techniques include 4-7-8 breathing, box breathing, and belly breathing. Devices to guide breathing exercises may also be useful.
Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition characterized by an inability to discard certain belongings to the point of unhealthy accumulation. While the types of hoarded items vary and might be useless to others—old clothes, boxes, papers, junk mail, or even spoiled food or garbage—the person hoarding the items is convinced they’ll be needed one day. The mere idea of parting with them is extremely distressing. In time, stuff fills the home in mounds of disorganized clutter that jams rooms and hallways and threatens safety. Beyond clutter, signs of hoarding disorder include impaired behavior, such as social isolation, sleep loss, or indecision.
Four eating patterns—including the DASH, Mediterranean, pescatarian, and vegetarian diets—align most closely with recommendations for a heart-healthy diet, according to a 2023 scientific statement from the American Heart Association. These diets limit saturated fat and excess carbohydrates, especially highly processed carbohydrates and sugary drinks. Evidence supporting these diets comes from decades of randomized trials, population-based studies, and other research.
A spray version of nitroglycerin (a drug used to treat angina) is just as effective as the under-the-tongue pill version of the drug. The spray also has a longer shelf life.
Tens of millions of people who’ve had COVID-19 suffer with persisting symptoms. The condition is called long COVID. Symptoms, such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and disrupted sleep, can seriously impair the ability to function at work and at home. Vaccines and antiviral drugs appear to offer some protection against getting long COVID. But more information is needed. The National Institutes of Health has committed over $1 billion to discover how to better diagnose, effectively treat, and ultimately prevent long COVID.
Neck pain is often the result of strained neck muscles that become irritated from everyday activities. Examples include watching TV for hours at a time, sleeping without enough neck support, slouching, looking down at a smartphone for long periods, lifting heavy dumbbells, or getting stressed out. Ways to avoid such neck pain include using pillows to better support the neck on a couch or in bed, sitting up straighter, keeping electronic screens at eye level, lifting weights that aren’t too heavy, and practicing stress management.