Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Blood thinners don’t “thin” blood; rather, they discourage blood from clotting. Candidates for anti-clotting drugs are people at high risk for dangerous blood clots, such as those with atrial fibrillation or those who have received a stent. Others who can benefit from an anti-clotting drug are people who are immobile after surgery and individuals who have had deep-vein thrombosis (clots in the veins of the legs or arms) or pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs). A higher risk of bleeding is the main side effect, but most people can tolerate the medication.

More than one in four adults ages 65 and older fall each year, and about 20% of those tumbles result in a broken bone or head injury. The best way to prevent falls is to stay in good shape by improving core strength, balance, and flexibility. People can further protect themselves by learning to fall in a way that reduces their risk of serious injury. Practicing falling can help develop muscle memory, so the body can automatically react to the situation, and help those who have previously suffered a fall overcome the fear of taking another tumble.

A 2023 study suggests that people who average 10 or more hours sitting each day face higher risks of dementia than those who sit less, and those risks persist even if they exercise.

A 2023 study suggests that regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages may increase women’s risks of developing liver cancer or dying from chronic liver disease.

A 2023 study suggests that eating lots of ultra-processed foods, which are high in sugar, salt, fat, and additives, may raise the risk for depression.

Most cases of chest pain don’t signal heart problems. While chest discomfort of any kind should never be ignored, many conditions can trigger it. These include gastroesophageal reflux disease, gallstones, asthma, ulcers, anxiety, COVID, esophagus spasms, costochondritis, pulmonary embolism, pleurisy, aortic dissection, and pericarditis. Chest pain is likely to be unrelated to the heart if it’s brief, triggered by eating, doesn’t worsen with exercise, occurs only with movement, coughing, or breathing deeply, or it’s localized to one spot.

Rumination consists of a repetitive stream of negative thoughts or themes. It often involves mentally replaying a past scenario or conversation or trying to solve a vexing problem. But rumination can also damage mental and physical health, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation. People can thwart rumination by finding distractions, changing location, relying on relaxation techniques, confiding in a friend, or taking action. Cognitive behavioral therapy can also help.

Retinal migraines cause temporary blindness or vision changes in just one eye. They are three times as common in women as men. Retinal migraines last from 10 minutes to an hour and arrive with or just after the start of the headache. Symptoms may seem similar to what can happen during a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke. People who experience new vision changes, even temporary ones, should seek medical attention.

People with insomnia can quiet a racing mind or relax a tense body with progressive muscle relaxation, which involves gradually tensing and relaxing muscles, beginning with the toes and working up the body.

A 2023 study found that people who exercise in the morning, specifically between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., have a lower risk of obesity than those who are most active in the midday or evening.