Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Many people need to take multiple medications for health and symptom control, but it requires extra attention to prevent risks for drug interactions, dosage errors, and other problems. Several strategies can help, such as learning the names of pills, what they do, and why they’re necessary; writing down the day, time, and dose of each drug; using organization tools such as pillboxes and alarms; and scheduling a medication review with a doctor or pharmacist every 12 months, so that unnecessary pills—such as those no longer needed—can be omitted.

A 2024 Harvard study of 90,000 people (average age 62), followed for about 10 years, found that getting 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was tied to improved health, particularly heart health. But among people who got the recommended amount of exercise, those who were the most sedentary the rest of the time had a greater risk of developing heart failure and dying from heart disease, compared with those who were the least sedentary.

Certain strategies can help people avoid flare-ups of diseases that seem to be affected by cold weather. For example, people with psoriasis can ward off dry skin (which causes flare-ups) by taking short, lukewarm showers, using a humidifier at home, and moisturizing with cream-based emollients. People with asthma should try to do outdoor activities during warmer parts of the day, take a puff of a rescue inhaler before going out, and wear a mask when outdoors. And people with arthritis can exercise and try heat therapy.

A 2024 study of people with sciatica caused by a herniated disk found that people who received acupuncture for 10 sessions over four weeks had less leg pain and better physical function, compared with people who received sham treatments.

White-coat hypertension refers to blood pressure that’s high only when measured in a medical setting. It’s defined as a reading in the doctor’s office of greater than 130/80 (but less than 160/100) and an average daytime blood pressure reading of less than 130/80. If home monitoring reveals mostly normal readings, treatment may not be needed. But intermittent blood pressure spikes might still damage the heart.

A 2024 study of more than 10,000 dementia-free people found that fitting the recommended amount of weekly exercise into one or two sessions was associated with a similar reduction in dementia risk as exercising throughout the work week.

A 2024 analysis of 137 studies involving almost 90,000 people found that older drugs called triptans are more effective at stopping migraine pain in a moment of agony, compared with newer medications such as ditans and gepants.

Heart-healthy Valentine’s Day gift ideas include products and experiences designed to make it easier and more enjoyable to follow the key tenets of a healthy lifestyle: eating well, getting regular exercise, sleeping soundly, and managing stress. Examples include strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, a cooking class, custom-fit sneakers, luxury sleep products, and a subscription to a meditation app.

The two main side effects caused by statins are muscle aches (which disappear once the drug is stopped) and a higher risk of diabetes (which is most common in people with obesity and prediabetes).

Certain strategies can help people avoid trips to the emergency room during the winter. For example, to avoid slipping and breaking a bone, spread salt on sidewalks and driveways; to avoid hypothermia, wear a coat and layers of athletic clothing that wicks away moisture; to avoid a heart attack from overexertion, use caution when starting a new exercise routine or shoveling snow. It’s also important to build an emergency kit that includes several days’ worth of food and drinking water, and two weeks of medication.