Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

The acronym SHIELD sums up the habits that may help ward off cognitive decline. SHIELD stands for sleeping at least seven hours per night, handling stress, interacting with friends, exercising daily, learning new things, and eating a healthy diet. Ideally, one should incorporate all of these healthy lifestyle habits into each day. If that feels overwhelming, doctors advise focusing on a different healthy habit per day, until it’s possible to practice all of the habits every day.

Age-related eye changes can make it harder to see at night. These changes include the loss of light-sensitive eye cells called rods, which are essential for seeing at night; smaller pupils that let less light into the eyes; slowed reactions to changes in light, such as when walking into a dark room from a bright room; clouding of the lenses inside the eyes, which may cause glare around streetlights or headlights; and worsening vision that makes it harder to discern fine detail.

A healthy diet is believed to play a role in warding off chronic inflammation that can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Six types of foods that may help fight chronic inflammation are berries, fatty fish, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and tomatoes. These foods are all found in a Mediterranean-style diet, which consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, and small amounts of dairy foods and olive oil.

Increasingly, tests that measure C-reactive protein are marketed to health-conscious consumers as a way of determining if they have chronic inflammation. However, the test is just one piece of evidence and should be interpreted by one’s doctor. Without that expertise, a customer might not understand what the CRP test result means, and as a result might suffer unnecessary anxiety or pursue unnecessary tests. It’s best to talk to one’s doctor before seeking tests that measure CRP levels.

According to a new recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task force, diabetes screening should begin age 35 for people who are overweight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater.

Compared to men, women may be over-treated for a certain type of thyroid cancer that is usually not dangerous.

With the right ingredients, a warm bowl of soup can also be an easy way to boost intake of vegetables and important nutrients. A good option is a broth-based soup with vegetables, whole grains, and a healthy protein such as beans or chicken. Mixing and matching ingredients can not only accommodate taste preferences but nutritional needs.

Exercise may help to reverse some types of heart damage. Not only can workouts prevent heart problems, but it may help to improve conditions that may raise risk for cardiovascular events. A 2021 study, for example, showed that a yearlong exercise program helped improve heart health in people who were at increased risk for heart failure.

A number of vaccinations are recommended for adults. These include not only the COVID-19 vaccine, but also an annual influenza shot and vaccinations for shingles and pneumococcal disease, among others. A doctor may also recommend additional vaccines depending on a person’s individual circumstances, such as planning travel or caring for a newborn. Adults should check periodically to make sure that they are up to date with all of their shots.

A 2021 study found that vaginal laser treatments may not be effective at improving vaginal symptoms in postmenopausal women.