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Beta blockers remain effective medicines for treating and managing common heart disease problems. People take them to manage atrial fibrillation (an irregular and rapid heart rhythm) and to prevent chest pain from coronary artery disease. Beta blockers also are used in the initial treatment of heart attacks. However, many people who have a mild heart attack may not need to take one forever.
A 2024 study suggests that hormone therapy for women under 60, including micronized progesterone and estrogen taken through the skin, effectively treats menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats while posing few health risks.
A 2024 study suggests that women in perimenopause are significantly more likely to experience depression than either before or after this stage.
Adjusting to new surroundings, such as a new or remodeled home, can affect people’s hearing ability. Certain home features absorb sound, making it easier to hear. These include carpeting, paneling, curtains, and upholstered furniture. Other features allow sound to reverberate, making hearing more difficult. These include hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings, and minimalist decor. Hearing aids don’t necessarily help, since they magnify all sounds.
While cigarette smoking remains the biggest cause of lung cancer, between 15% and 25% of cases globally occur in people who have never smoked. Lung cancer claims more women’s lives than breast and ovarian cancer combined. Risk factors among nonsmokers include age, family history, chronic lung conditions, and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, radon, diesel fumes, air pollution, and asbestos. People concerned about their risks should discuss it with their doctor, reduce exposure to lung cancer contributors, and get involved in advocacy efforts.
A 2024 study suggests that optimism may help women stave off age-related physical decline.
Vacation activities are often healthier than everyday habits. Since heart disease and cancer are linked to lifestyle choices people can change, such as poor diet and inactivity, maintaining habits fostered on vacation can improve overall health. These habits include spending more time outdoors, moving more, spending less time online, eating a more varied diet, dining more with others, getting more sleep, and engaging their brain in novel ways.
Physical activity lowers cardiovascular disease risk in part by reducing stress-related activity in the brain, according to a 2024 study.
Spending several minutes lying on the ground in a resting supine pose can help people feel grounded by calming their body and mind.
A 2024 study found that adults can benefit from receiving financial or game-like incentives to become more active.