Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Balancing on one leg for 10 seconds or longer is a good way to improve balancing skills.

A 2024 study suggests doing a workout that’s a combination of aerobics and strength training might reduce cardiovascular risk factors just as effectively as a workout that consists of aerobics only.

A 2023 study suggests that toothbrushing twice daily can lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia in seriously ill hospitalized patients.

A 2023 study suggests that avoiding low-quality carbohydrates such as refined grains, sugar-sweetened drinks, and starchy vegetables may help middle-aged adults avoid weight gain.

A 2023 study suggests that women who prefer to stay up and wake up later are more likely to develop diabetes and to have unhealthful lifestyle habits compared with those who prefer to go to bed and wake up earlier.

At any given time, up to 15 million people in the United States are believed to have brain aneurysms. Most of the time, brain aneurysms don’t cause any problems. However, they do rupture in about 30,000 people each year. When an aneurysm leaks or bursts, it increases pressure in the skull, causing damage, swelling, fluid buildup, and sudden, severe head pain unlike any other headache. It’s a life-threatening medical emergency and needs to be investigated at an emergency department immediately.

A 2024 study found that the risk of premature death was 24% lower among people who used hearing aids regularly, compared with people who never used hearing aids.

In a 2024 study, people who reported eating plant-based diets were 39% less likely to have had COVID-19, compared with people who said they were meat eaters.

A 2023 study found that people with chronic conditions who took part in high-intensity interval training in the water—called aquatic HIIT or AHIIT—experienced a similar boost in endurance (their maximum sustained physical exertion) as people who took part in land-based HIIT. An AHIIT workout includes a warm-up, such as treading water, followed by intervals of rest and intense activity (such as swimming laps or doing four or five pool exercises in a row, as quickly as possible), for a total of 30 minutes.

Tooth, gum, or jaw pain can stem from many health problems. For example, tooth pain can result from a cavity, cracked filling, or an infection. Gum pain can come from irritation due to tooth brushing, food, dentures, gum disease, or infection. Jaw pain can be triggered by disorders of the temporomandibular joint, narrowed heart arteries, or even a heart attack. All persistent tooth, gum, and jaw pain should prompt a call to a dentist as soon as possible. Sudden neck or lower jaw pain can signal an emergency and warrants a call to 911, especially in a person with known heart problems.