harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED
For stroke survivors, workouts that alternate high- and low-intensity exercise (known as high-intensity interval training or HIIT) may boost fitness more than moderate-intensity workouts.
About 98 million Americans have prediabetes, in which the average amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. While people with prediabetes want to avoid getting diabetes, prediabetes can be dangerous on its own, as it increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and fatty liver disease. Controlling blood pressure, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, and managing glucose levels with weight loss, exercise, and diet offers protection against diabetes and these conditions.
Common causes of persistent or recurrent swallowing difficulty include medication side effects, an inflamed esophagus, an enlarged thyroid, among others. A doctor can conduct several tests to help identify the problem and offer appropriate treatment.
Over a 24-year span, people whose diets favored plant-based fat lived longer than people who ate more animal-based fat, according to a 2024 study. The same distinction appeared specifically for deaths from heart disease.
An online tool to predict heart disease risk might be more accurate if it included a psychological health assessment. Including depression screening results appears to strengthen the tool’s ability to predict heart disease deaths.
A 2024 study suggests that women who engage in the most physical activity—regardless of how it’s measured—have significantly lower risks of developing cardiovascular disease or dying early.
A 2024 study suggests that short bursts of light activity before bedtime may improve sleep.
A 2024 study suggests that swapping table salt for a salt substitute can markedly lower the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) involves 12 months or longer of debilitating grief. An estimated 7% to 10% of bereaved people experience PGD. Signs include feeling as though part of you has died, marked sense of disbelief about the death, denial or immense difficulty accepting the loss, extreme loneliness, and feeling that life is meaningless. People who are more vulnerable to PGD include women in general as well as people who lost a loved one in a traumatic or unexpected way, lost a child, or have coped with anxiety or depression. Treating PGD may involve a blend of therapies.
The average cough, typically due to a cold or other respiratory virus, lasts three weeks or less. A lingering or chronic cough lasts eight weeks or longer. Most causes of chronic cough aren’t serious, such as bronchitis, seasonal allergies, or medication side effects. People should see a doctor if over-the-counter treatments haven’t worked or if they experience signs such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest pain, blood in the sputum, weight loss, or fatigue. Before an appointment, people should track their cough and note its patterns to offer clues for diagnosis.