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Pickleball, one of the country’s fastest-growing racquet sports, is an optimal activity for older adults as it offers cardiovascular health benefits, helps improve cognitive skills, and is a fun way to socialize. The game also can help improve balance to help reduce the risk of falls, and can accommodate different fitness levels.
Guidelines suggest 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, but new research says that doing more activity and at a higher intensity offers even more protection against heart disease.
People with anxiety or depression who have trouble with decision making can improve their skills by focusing on former successful decisions instead of past mistakes.
Blood pressure readings are usually done on only one arm, but research suggests checking both, as a consistent difference of 10 or more points in systolic pressure could indicate a greater risk for heart disease.
People often fear that memory lapses, such as forgetting your keys or people’s names, are related to dementia. But there are also many more benign reasons for forgetfulness. A lack of sleep, certain medications, or even stress, anxiety, or depression can lead to memory problems. People experiencing memory lapses should see their doctor to investigate potential causes.
The COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people with a history of heart attack.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are different, though they can have similar symptoms. IBS symptoms seem to arise from hypersensitive nerves and abnormal muscle contractions in the digestive tract, while IBD results from a problem with the immune system causing inflammation.
Some fermented foods contain probiotics, beneficial microorganisms that can live in your intestines. These microorganisms help you stay healthy, potentially improving your immune function and reducing damaging inflammation. Eating prebiotics—high-fiber foods that are a source of nutrition for these healthful microorganisms—is essential to help these beneficial microorganisms grow and thrive.
Your eyes undergo natural changes that affect your vision as you age, but you are also more likely to develop eye diseases that may threaten your vision. These include age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Women are more likely than men to develop age-related eye diseases, partially because they live longer. Getting regular vision care and following a healthy lifestyle can help ensure that your vision remains intact.
Medical errors are less common than they used to be, but they still happen. Medication errors are particularly problematic. Being knowledgeable about medications, asking questions, and speaking up when something doesn’t sound right can help prevent many of these mistakes.