Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

A brisk walk is excellent exercise, but some people find it boring. Incorporating other activities into the walk can make it more interesting. For example, a person can boost cardio fitness during a walk by using Nordic walking poles or by periodically picking up the pace for brief spurts of 15, 30, or 60 seconds. A brisk walk can also be used as a time to socialize with family or friends, or to have a heart-to-heart chat. A brisk walk is also a good time to practice mindfulness.

As scientists race to find a vaccine to ward off SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, doctors are reminding people to get other scheduled vaccinations. Older adults are advised to get their scheduled shots to protect against flu, shingles, pneumonia, and other infectious diseases. The benefits of vaccines may go beyond immunity to the germs they introduce; vaccines may help keep the immune system stay “fit” and give people a boost when they encounter other bugs.

Older people tend to have more difficulty focusing than young people. This is because age-related brain changes make it harder to filter out stimuli that are not relevant to the task at hand. Tips to try to boost concentration include practicing mindfulness; engaging in cognitive training; and living a healthy lifestyle that includes managing underlying conditions, eating a Mediterranean diet, and getting the recommended amounts of exercise (150 minutes per week) and sleep (seven to eight hours per night).

To measure blood pressure accurately at home, one should get an approved blood pressure monitor and follow a particular set of steps. These include sitting at a table with one’s arm resting comfortably on it; keeping one’s back straight and feet flat on the floor; placing the blood pressure cuff around one’s bare upper arm; relaxing for five minutes before taking the first reading; remaining quiet while taking the blood pressure measurement; and waiting one to two minutes before taking another reading.

A study published July 8, 2020, by The BMJ found that people with the highest intakes of fruits and vegetables were 25-50% less likely to get diabetes during the study period, compared with people who ate the least.

Probiotic supplements appear to help relieve depression symptoms, suggests a review of clinical trials published online July 6, 2020, by BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

People with a history of periodontal (gum) disease were 43% more likely to develop esophageal cancer and 52% more likely to develop gastric (stomach) cancer, according to a study published online July 20, 2020, by the journal Gut.

Heart attack symptoms tend to be pretty similar among both sexes. However, chest pain and sweating are slightly more common in men, while nausea and vomiting and shortness of breath tend to be more likely to occur in women. Heart attacks that show no evidence of a blockage in a major heart artery (known as myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries, or MINOCA) tend to occur more often in women, but about 40% of these unusual heart attacks occur in men.

Coronary artery calcium scans tend to be quite accurate. Unlike some other imaging tests, the results are unlikely to be either falsely negative or falsely positive because the results are literally black and white (the calcium shows up as white on the scan).

Taking baths or saunas on a regular basis may help lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Evidence for these benefits comes from studies in Japan (where hot tub use in ingrained in the culture) and Finland, where saunas are popular. Both habits seem to be safe for people with stable heart disease and even mild heart failure. But people with unstable chest pain (angina), poorly controlled high blood pressure, or other serious heart issues should avoid them. Because high temperatures can lower blood pressure, older people with low blood pressure should be extra careful in hot baths and saunas.